Ah, The Wallace Collection! Even as I contemplate only tackling the highlights, the vastness of this collection overwhelms me and I know that it is a practically impossible task.
Still, today I am in London and, after a long, long time, have returned to my favorite museum. Although I do love a good museum and have been fortunate enough to have browsed through many a fine collection, The Wallace Collection is firmly at the top of my list. So I am certainly not going to let a little thing like whittling the collection down to a select few get me down. And so, I begin.
The 16th Century Gallery
The 16th Century Gallery, now one room, previously comprised of two separate rooms. Today the gallery contains Medieval and Renaissance works of art primarily collated by Sir Richard.
The one that strikes me the most is this delightful plate by Limoges enameler Martial Courteys. Once again the colors pop but it is the sheer volume of action happening on this small surface that makes it so intriguing.
Inspired by Classical mythology, this dish, Apollo and the Muses, depicts Apollo on Mount Parnassus in Greece playing a lira da braccio while his nine muses accompany him on various instruments. Apollo was a god associated with musical harmony whilst the Muses represent learning and creative inspirations.
Other figures include the nymph, Castalia, who pours water from a vase in the centre of the plate. She threw herself into a stream when being pursued by Apollo with the stream becoming known as the Castalian spring, a source of poetic inspiration.
Pegasus, the symbol of fame, is the winged horse and there are two poets, possibly Homer and Virgil.
Good To Know
See some of the other rooms in The Wallace Collection or explore another of my favorite museums:
- The Front State Room
- The East Gallery II
- National Museum of Beirut
- Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar
- National Gallery of Australia
Would I Return?
Yes. An absolute, unequivocal yes.
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