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 too long away, I 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 Front State Room
The highlight in this room is a serve ware trifecta consisting of two ice cream coolers and a wine bottle cooler from the dinner service that was delivered to Catherine II of Russia in 1779 from the French Manufacture de Sèvres (1778). The Collection holds many more pieces from Sèvres.
These particular pieces strike me for two reasons. The first is the color. I love the turquoise pop that sets off the delicate floral and gilding. It also works incredibly well against the red background of the room. The second is the sheer indulgence of such a piece. Perhaps in Russia these things may have been easier, given the climate, however making and eating ice cream without the modern conveniences of a freezer would have been something to truly savor.
Good To Know
See some of the other rooms in The Wallace Collection or explore another of my favorite museums:
- An Enquiring Mind: Manolo Blahnik at the Wallace Collection
- The East Gallery II
- National Museum of Beirut
- Museum of Islamic Art, Qatar
- National Gallery of Australia
Would I Return?
Yes. An absolute and unequivocal yes.
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