Issue 61 - The Bowes Museum

WINTER 2015 // Number 61
What’s inside:
All About Yves PAGE 4
In Paris with the Bowes PAGE 14
The Passion Altarpiece PAGE 16
Peacocks and Porcelain PAGE 18
Friends of
the Bowes
Museum
Bowes Arts
WINTER 2015 // Number 61
(Fr. beaux arts = Eng. fine arts) is the Newsletter of
the Friends of the Bowes Museum, named after a
competition among Friends in December 2011.
From the Chair
FRIENDS
OF THE
BOWES
MUSEUM
Dear Friends,
In this issue
3 From the Chair
4 All About Yves
6 Pictures from an Exhibition
8 All About Yves continued
10 A Visit to Whitby
11 Current Exhibitions
12 Friends’ Events this Winter
13 How to Book Friends’ Events
14 In Paris with the Bowes
16 The Passion Altarpiece
18 Peacocks and Porcelain
20 A Parliamentary Portrait
22 UK Updates
23 Re-launch of Bowes Arts
24 Our Sponsors
On the cover: Lavender Landscape quilt
by Pauline Burbidge, 2015.
Photo by Phil Dickson, psd photography.
See ‘Current Exhibitions’ on page 11
On this page: Palette & Paint,
courtesy of NEW LIGHT.
See ‘Current Exhibitions’ on page 11
PAGE 2
At this stage of the year, after
the summer holidays, I am
always aware that I am probably
addressing quite a number of
new Friends, in addition to those
of several – in some cases many
– years’ standing. We delight
in welcoming new members,
and this summer our numbers
have leapt forward to nearly
2,500 thanks to the spectacular
exhibition Yves Saint Laurent:
Style is Eternal.
(also a Friend) who, through his own design
company Narrative (previously Press Ahead),
has brought this transformation into effect.
This makes ours an unusually large group
for a non-urban museum, and I hope that
all Friends, old and new, find membership
stimulating, informative and enjoyable, as
well as a rewarding way of supporting a
remarkable museum.
Caroline Peacock
I mentioned Friends who have been with us for
a long time, and where this is concerned we do,
as it happens, have a current champion: Freda
Brown, a life member from almost the ‘dawn’
of the Friends, celebrated her 105th birthday in
August this year, and we have great pleasure in
offering her our sincere congratulations.
I look forward to seeing or hearing from
many of you over the coming months, with all
good wishes,
Those who live near enough to visit us regularly
can, of course, access our annual programme
of talks, trips and other events. In this context,
what a pleasure it was to meet, on our recent
visit to Paris, several Friends from further afield
whom we don’t in fact see regularly.
I hope, though, that those living less near
will also feel connected, not least through
the quarterly issues of Bowes Arts. Very
encouragingly, we have had universally
favourable comments on the new ‘look’ of our
newsletter. I sincerely thank Diana Collecott,
our current editor, who has worked very hard
to achieve this, and Kieron Goldsborough
PAGE 3
SPECIAL FEATURE
All About Yves
by Joanna Hashagen, Curator of Fashion & Textiles
YSL has taken over my life! I have worked on this exhibition for over two years,
following the loan of one of the Bowes Museum’s Canalettos to the Musée
Jacquemart – André in Paris. Our Head of Collections, Jane Whittaker, was the
courier and she told their head of exhibitions, Sophie Aurand, about our new Fashion
Gallery. It turned out that Sophie was an advisor to the Fondation Pierre Bergé –
Yves Saint Laurent, and she was responsible for giving us an introduction to them.
My discussions with the Fondation have
been conducted on visits to Paris and by
countless emails. The first meeting, in
February 2013, was an interview with
Philippe Mugnier, their Directeur Général,
with the four Yves Saint Laurent images by
Andy Warhol looking down on us. Yves’
dog, Moujik IV, sat by my feet. I came out
of 5, Avenue Marceau, a grand Second
Empire mansion, shaking!
Once the Fondation team had returned
the visit and seen the Bowes Museum for
themselves, they had confidence that we
could successfully host such a prestigious
exhibition. Pierre Bergé was involved at every
stage, and from the outset he suggested that
the exhibition might connect in some way
with our own historic collections.
There have been so many highlights:
selecting the exhibits with my co-curator
Sandrine Tinturier at the Fondation and
creating the themes and links with our own
collections; working with the Paris designer
Natalie Crinière and with the brilliant
contractors who built her spectacular design
in just four weeks!
Originally the agreement was for just fifty
outfits with their accessories, but I was
keen to incorporate the original paper
dolls, sketches, collection boards, toiles,
embroideries, and hats. I felt that music,
film clips and fashion photographs were
important too, even though it became
a mammoth and costly task to organise
copyrights. But all these elements added
so much, giving depth to the show and
a greater understanding of Yves Saint
Laurent’s genius.
M. Bergé and the Dior dress
PAGE 4
Joanna Hashagen with museum trustee Peter Mothersill
Another highlight was our discovery of
the forgotten Zéphirine dress at the Palais
Galliera in Paris. This striking pink dress
was designed by Saint Laurent at the age
of 22 when he was head of Dior. It was first
seen in the UK in 1958 at a charity fashion
show staged at Blenheim Palace before
Princess Margaret. To get the agreement
of Dior and the Fondation to help fund
conservation, enabling it to be seen again in
the UK, was hugely satisfying.
pleased with the exhibition, and that it has
brought in so many visitors who are new
to the Bowes Museum, is hugely gratifying.
(We anticipate nearly 50,000 visitors by late
October.)
Since the opening, I have also had the
opportunity to meet many interesting
people from the media and influential
people in the fashion world, so who knows
what might happen next?
The quest for sponsors was a major
concern, so finding a version of the 1969
photograph of Yves Saint Laurent in Bond
Street, with the word ‘Fenwick’ on the
shop across the street, was a good moment.
Hence Fenwick became our main sponsors.
The creation of a book for the exhibition
was made possible by James Cropper, paper
manufacturers, and Here Design; this was
a fantastic opportunity for me to work
with top London designers to develop the
concept and select the images.
It has been an absolute privilege to plan and
co-curate this exhibition with the Fondation
Pierre Bergé –Yves Saint Laurent: the
highlight of my career. That they are so
M. Bergé and the Fenwick photo
PAGE 5
SPECIAL FEATURE
Pictures from an Exhibition
Adrian Jenkins & Sir Mark Wrightson
Rachael Fletcher receives guests
Jane and Rodney Tennant
Flower display in the Picture Gallery
Sheila Dixon at Reception
Verity Naseby & Clare Terry
Jenna Rossi-Camus
Sir Mark Wrightson
Leah Hobson & friend
Paula Bowron
Two Friends
Alison Davy
Absorbed
PAGE 6
Matthew Foster & Sarah Moorhead
Masculin- Féminin
Chris Thompson & Elizabeth Gott
Photographs by Clare Collinson for the Bowes Museum
PAGE 7
SPECIAL FEATURE
All About Yves contd.
by Sheila Dixon, Media & PR Officer
Since January’s announcement that the Yves
Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal exhibition was
coming to the Bowes Museum, it has been a
wonderfully uplifting experience to have the
world’s media beating a path to our door. I
expected press interest to be intense, and it’s
certainly lived up to expectations, with requests
coming in from all over the world – America,
Italy, Australia, Russia, Singapore, France,
Spain, Latin America, Turkey, Greece, Korea –
for filming, interviews, images and information.
Despite the inevitable question as to why the
exhibition should be held here rather than in
London, the dominant press response, especially
among fashion journalists, was delight that the
UK was to host this YSL exclusive, irrespective of
the venue. Several contacts were kind enough to
phone or send congratulations and messages of
support for what they saw as a huge coup for us.
Following the press conference – attended by
over forty regional, national and international
journalists – we waited breathlessly for
the reviews, which were all we hoped for.
Writing in the Sunday Times, respected critic
Waldemar Januszczak said: ‘It’s brilliant
stuff, brilliantly curated ... the best fashion
exhibition I have ever seen.’
As coverage began to roll out on national and
regional TV and radio – BBC News 24, ITV’s
Lorraine Kelly, BBC Look North, ITV Tyne Tees,
and BBC Radio 4’s Today and Front Row – and
as it was shared across social media, press
interest intensified further and has remained
so, with Janet Street-Porter, Lauren Laverne
and Vogue International editor Suzy Menkes the
latest to visit.
by Adrian Jenkins, Director
Exhibition installation is rather like those TV
makeover programmes, with the constant
question, ‘will it be done in time?’ The
difference with exhibition installation is that
the deadline is real! The team at Bowes struck
up an easy rapport with our YSL colleagues
and the exhibition soon began to take shape.
Reconstruction of the three galleries took three
weeks, often going into the night.
The key date was July 8th, which marked the
arrival of Pierre Bergé, Yves Saint Laurent’s
life and business partner. As he spent an
hour walking around the exhibition with his
distinctive cane, occasionally stopping, pointing,
whispering a comment here and there, we all
waited with bated breath as to what he thought.
PAGE 8
So I asked him. He turned to me and simply
said, ‘Magnifique!’
by Volunteer Stewards
Stupendous... inspirational ... fantastic ... entrancing ... breath-taking: these are just
some of the adjectives used to describe the YSL exhibition.
‘I am envious of you being here all day!’ was
a comment made by many of the visitors.
More than forty volunteer stewards regularly
spend three and a half hours at a time in the
exhibition. By the end of each stint, we have
probably heard Maria Callas and Ravel’s
Bolero far too often, but the outfits themselves
never cease to enthral and excite.
As stewards we are officially on the lookout
for forbidden flash photography and the
irresistible urge to touch the garments. But
there is so much more to this voluntary role.
It is a joy to talk to the great variety of visitors.
Some ladies make a special effort to dress up
for the occasion, for others it is a special treat.
Even the menfolk have been surprised and
captivated by the exhibition.
Overheard remarks were often amusing:
Mother:
‘Well, they’re not practical, are they?’
Daughter:
‘That’s the point of haute couture – it’s not for
the likes of us.’
Husband:
‘I like that dress so much, I’d like to wear it.’
Wife:
‘Well, you do have better legs than me …’
Exclamation marks are spread liberally among
the comments left by visitors. They come
from all corners of the country and beyond.
A lady living in Chelsea considered moving
to Barnard Castle; a visitor from Singapore
remarked: ‘Lovely exhibition! Well worth
the flight!’
Here is a selection of other comments:
Superb exhibition. What a talent YSL was! Style and
influence on today’s fashion is evident but so is historical
homage.
The couture room is one of the most beautiful things I
have seen. I never want to leave! Thank you so much for
creating this amazing exhibition.
Adrian Jenkins and Pierre Bergé
Amazing to see these works of art up close. The
attention to detail is sublime!
PAGE 9
FRIENDS’ EVENT
A Visit to Whitby
Current Exhibitions
by Jean Marsh
A glorious July day greeted us as we crossed the moors to our first stop: the Captain
Cook Memorial Museum on the harbour-side in narrow Grape Lane.
Time to wander through historic buildings,
fish’n’chip trippers and golden sands, before
leaving for our next cultural appointment above
the town in delightful Pannett Park. At the top of
tiered gardens lies the Whitby Museum, which
also depends on enthusiastic volunteers, housing
fine paintings by the Staithes group and a vibrant
contemporary exhibition. Caroline Peacock had
hinted at a ‘Victorian time-bubble’ – and yes, we
found countless cabinets of curiosities, containing
flints, fossils, jet creations, a hangman’s locket,
ships in light-bulbs and Queen Victoria’s
nightdress! The stuff of Dracula’s dreams?
Friends enter the Cook Memorial Museum
This independent gem, run by excellent
volunteers, is in a beautifully restored early
Georgian house where young James Cook was
apprenticed in 1746. It was then the home
of ship owner John Walker, as suggested by
some handsome furniture and panelling. The
upstairs rooms exhibit letters, prints and charts
relating to Cook’s life and epic voyages; also
fabrics and textiles showing island dress in
Polynesia, and George Stubbs’ eccentric
painting of a ‘Kongouro’. Most evocative was
the attic, once the schoolroom, overlooking
where those amazing ships were built – what
sights and sounds there would have been
inspiring Cook to discover distant lands!
PAGE 10
Emerging into bright sunshine, the Committee
sprung another surprise: we would climb to
the cliff top – by way of the coach, not the
steps! There, the Abbey stones glowed in
subtle shades, the sea sparkled against the
clear blue sky. All ghosts were banished, but
perhaps Saint Hilda’s spirit presided as Susan
Kirkbride and Clarissa Milbank produced
goodie bags of homemade treats for the perfect
picnic. We were nourished and uplifted by
everything; those not there missed a cracker!
At the harbour-side, July 2015
Phantom Heads by Jo Taylor (New Light)
Iggy Pop by Mapplethorpe (Artisit Rooms)
New Light
Robert Mapplethorpe
A selling show of new works by Northern artists
of all ages, who are competing for a range of
awards including the prestigious Valeria Sykes
Prize. Presented by the charity New Light, it will
feature the shortlisted artworks, before going on
to Harrogate and London. The Bowes Museum
will be running an innovative educational
project with artist Vicky Holbrough and pupils
from Ingleton Primary School to accompany
the exhibition.
Outstanding among American photographers
in the late twentieth century, Mapplethorpe is
renowned both for his technical virtuosity in
black and white and his powerfully provocative
images. The works in this exhibition are drawn
from the Artist Rooms project, an initiative
of the Tate and the National Galleries of
Scotland. In dialogue with painted portraits
in the Bowes Museum’s permanent collection,
these photographs raise questions about
celebrity culture.
Until 7 February 2016
Quiltscapes & Quiltline
From 28 November until 10 April 2016
Pauline Burbidge has been perfecting her craft
as a textile artist for over thirty years, winning
awards and exhibiting in Europe, Japan, the
UK and the USA. A founder member of the
Quilters’ Guild, Pauline Burbidge says of the
forthcoming Bowes’ exhibition: ‘This will be a
collection of my new work: textile landscapes,
showing both extra special wall quilts
(Quiltscapes) and completely original functional
and usable quilts (Quiltline).’
From 28 November until 26 April 2016
Napoleon and the Bowes
Until May 2016
To commemorate the 200th anniversary
of the Battle of Waterloo, a fascinating
selection of items associated with Napoleon
that were collected by the nineteenthcentury Founders of the Bowes Museum.
The display in the John and Joséphine
Gallery includes ceramics, cartoons and
medals, complementing the Napoleonic
portraits in the Picture Galleries and on the
central stairs.
PAGE 11
Friends’ Events - Winter 2015
Excavations near Cataractonium
Friday 6 November 2.00 pm
This event has already sold out, but numbers
may justify repeating it at a later date, so
please let us know if you remain interested.
Our speaker, Richard Fraser of Northern
Archaeological Associates, led the recent
excavations on the A1 near Catterick.
Afternoon tea will follow this talk.
Friends £12 Guests £15
Lighting the Friends’
Christmas Tree
Sunday 29 November 2.30 - 4.30 pm
This year, our ever-popular event is happening
on a weekend afternoon in the hope of
enabling many more young families to join us
for music, craft activities, meeting Green Santa
and seeing the lights on the tree being switched
on as if by magic!
The Bowes Café and Shop will be open.
Free to all after 2.30 pm
Barnard Castle School
Carol Concert
Friday 11 December 7.30 pm
The Friends look forward to this evening of
music every year. Please see the enclosed flyer
for fuller details.
Drinks and nibbles will be served from 7.00 pm.
Friends £10 Guests £13
The Friends’ Visit to Paris
Tuesday 12 January 11.00 am
Caroline Peacock will give an illustrated talk
about what proved to be a very rewarding trip
tracing the lives of John and Joséphine Bowes
in nineteenth-century France, including the
theatre John Bowes owned (where he met
Joséphine) and the enchanting Château du
Barry (where they lived). Visits to the Musée
d’Orsay and the Musée Jacquemart – André
were other highlights.
Tea, Coffee and biscuits will be served from 10.30 am
Friends £10 Guests £13
‘New Light’: Buying Art
Friday 5 February 3.00 and 7.00 pm
Matthew Hall, one of the judges of the New
Light Prize Exhibition and founder of the
Panter & Hall Gallery in Pall Mall, London,
will talk about the ins and outs of purchasing
contemporary art (whether for decoration,
investment or something else), how to approach
the challenge of assessing and buying works,
and the pleasures of being an art collector.
Tea and cakes in the afternoon.
Drinks and nibbles in the evening.
Friends £10 Guests £13
How to Book Friends’ Events
You may use the enclosed page of booking forms to book events one at a time, if
you wish, but remember that early booking is advised and is essential for visits
and day trips.
(Please do not use these booking forms for Museum events.)
✔ Complete a separate booking form for each event,and record your choices in the boxes
❏
on page 12.
✔ Enclose a cheque, made payable to ‘Friends of the Bowes Museum’, covering the total cost
❏
of events booked.
✔ Include a stamped and self-addressed envelope for the return of your tickets; bookings not
❏
accompanied by an SAE will result in tickets being held for collection at the event.
✔ Mark the outer envelope ‘Events’ and address to the Friends’ Office, the Bowes Museum,
❏
Barnard Castle, DL12 8NP.
Tickets are non-refundable unless an event is unavoidably cancelled by the Friends. Please allow
at least a week to receive tickets by post.
How to Contact the Friends
Or find out more about joining us
Friends’ Office
The Bowes Museum
Barnard Castle
County Durham
DL12 8NP
Voicemail: 01833 690 606 ext. 233
Email: [email protected]
www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk
PAGE 12
Subscribe to our emailing list and
become part of our online community
Follow us on twitter @friendsoffice
The Friends’ Office is run by volunteers,
so it will not always be possible to speak to
someone. If you leave a telephone message, or
send an email, we will get back to you as soon
as we can.
Registered Charity Number 507680
PAGE 13
FRIENDS’ EVENT
In Paris with John
and Joséphine Bowes
by David and Judith Phillips
In early July, a group of Friends of the Bowes Museum, from across the United
Kingdom and beyond, gathered at the hotel La Régence within sight of the Arc de
Triomphe to explore places associated with the museum’s founders. Led by MarieFrance, art historian and guide, a short introductory excursion brought us to the
Cité d’Antin where John and Joséphine Bowes lived for a while. Then we saw the
Grand and Petit Palais – the remains of the great Exposition Universelle of 1900.
The Bowes were great aficionados of, and purchasers from, earlier exhibitions.
The following day began with a visit to the
Musée d’Orsay, a former railway station
constructed in time for the 1900 Exposition
Universelle. We explored the treasures on
display, concluding with lunch in the splendid
belle époque restaurant. Later there was the
opportunity to visit the Théâtre des Variétés
but, despite collective and persistent efforts
to gain entry, we were unable to penetrate
beyond the foyer. However, a well-illustrated
book was available for purchase. It was
gratifying to see John Bowes’ name inscribed
on a wall tablet commemorating former
proprietors. We walked along the adjacent
Passage des Panoramas, illustrative of many
in nineteenth-century Paris; this one included
the ‘Entrée des Artistes’.
Joséphine Bowes’ passion for fashion was
referenced in the afternoon visit to the
Fondation Pierre Bergé –Yves Saint Laurent,
where a conducted tour of the fashion house
included the workplace of Saint Laurent. This
provided a context for the series of films that
were subsequently screened at the Witham
and, of course, for the fabulous exhibition that
has just concluded at the Bowes Museum.
PAGE 14
On Thursday we visited the Château du
Barry at Louveciennes. On the approach,
several people attempted to photograph
the prospect shown in Joséphine’s painting,
although the topography of the park and
gardens has changed since then. The
propriétaire, Madame Gonneau, greeted us
warmly and conducted a discursive tour,
Friends with the Mayor (centre), M. Gonneau and our guide Marie-France (front row, third and fourth from left),
Mme. Gonneau (second from right)
detailing how the château had been rescued
from the edge of ruin. The time and devotion
expended on restoration have been rewarded
with a home that is elegant and sophisticated.
Our visit concluded with champagne, when
we were joined by Monsieur Gonneau and
the local mayor, before a group photograph
in front of the château.
An excellent lunch in a local restaurant was
followed by a guided tour of the Musée
Promenade at Marly-le-Roi, led by their
Friends’ President Annie Catillon. The
museum displays and a subsequent walk
in the adjoining park enabled us to place
the château within the context of the ancien
régime complex.
A prospect of the Château du Barry
On the final morning, a visit to the Musée
Jacquemart – André provided us with
an opportunity to view the furnished
interiors of this magnificent town house,
as well as the current exhibition De Giotto
à Caravage: Les Passions de Robert Longhi.
Like John and Joséphine, though slightly
later in date, Edouard André and his wife
Nélie Jacquemart were avid collectors and
exhibitors. (See ‘A Sister Museum in Paris’,
Bowes Arts No. 53, Winter 2013.)
Further footsteps tantalisingly remain:
the unvisited interior of the Théâtre
des Variétés, the church of the Trinité
(currently under restoration), and the
Bowes’ home at 7 Rue de Berlin (now
Liège) opposite the hôtel occupied by the
Duc de Morny, half-brother of Emperor
Napoleon III.
So, the visit was a delight of discovery and
experience, both in new friends made and
in the places visited. Thanks are due to John
Findlay, for his illuminating talk earlier this
year, and to all the organisers, especially
Caroline and Jonathan Peacock, for such a
magnificent experience.
PAGE 15
SPECIAL FEATURE
The Flemish Altarpiece
and Saint Anthony’s Fire
by Elizabeth Conran
At a well-attended Friends’ Event in September, Alison Nicholson told how the
restoration of the magnificent Passion altarpiece was made possible by donors to
the Art Fund. The museum’s expert conservators Jon Old and Paul Turner then
described the meticulous process by which the painted panels were restored. The
previous Director of the Bowes Museum, a specialist in religious art, now throws
light on the meaning of one of its panels, hidden when the altar is opened.
The altarpiece has been returned to the Early
Picture Gallery after its recent conservation
and the creation of a new oak case by Rupert
McBain. Its great presence and dignity shows
how important is the presentation of a work
of art.
I want to focus on one panel of the
altarpiece in particular, which may change
our understanding of it and give richer
meaning to the whole work. This is the
upper panel of St. Anthony Abbot on the
reverse of God the Father. St. Anthony was
a real person, living from 251(?) to 356 AD.
He chose to live as a hermit in the deserts
of Egypt, latterly in a cave near where St.
Anthony’s Monastery was founded shortly
after his death. His life of poverty, worship
and contemplation attracted like-minded
men to live near him, in an informal
community known as the Desert Fathers.
The painting of St. Anthony before restoration
PAGE 16
In art, St. Anthony can be identified by his
elderly appearance, his black habit, long
beard, and a staff which looks like a crutch.
He carries a bell, and is accompanied by a
pig: these symbols refer to his life as a hermit.
Many legends grew around St. Anthony,
in particular his struggles with various
Conservator Paul Turner working on the altarpiece
temptations. The stories are told by Jacobus
de Voragine in The Golden Legend, written in
the thirteenth century and never out of the
Mediaeval best-seller list.
the disease, and a method had been found to
separate it from the grains of rye. By the early
nineteenth century, ergotism was no longer a
scourge.
Painters and patrons loved these stories, but
none are referenced in the altarpiece. Instead,
we are shown St. Anthony seated, with his
feet covered by a fire of burning logs. This
refers to the tormenting disease called St.
Anthony’s Fire, which was widespread for
many centuries. In the eleventh century a
brotherhood called the Hospital Brothers of
St. Anthony was founded to help sufferers.
The Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony
cared for people in special hospices and
became experts in providing soothing
ointments, painkillers, helpful diet advice
and quick amputations. There was one
other ‘prescription’ they could offer:
asking patients to compare their sufferings
with those of one whose pain was worse.
Sufferers were asked to meditate on the
Passion and Resurrection of the Lord
Jesus Christ. So a hospice might provide
an altarpiece of the Passion for celebration
of Mass, for contemplation, intercession,
solace and hope. Christ was with them in
their suffering.
The medical name for the disease is ergotism.
It leaves itchy, very painful, open sores all
over the body, accompanied by burning
pains and convulsions, leading finally to
gangrene and madness. The cause of the
disease is a fungus which grows on rye;
when the fungus is ground with the grain
into flour and baked into bread, those who
eat this bread develop the disease. In the
Middle Ages it was incurable.
However, by the seventeenth century, the
fungus had been identified as the source of
The presence of St. Anthony within this
altarpiece suggests that it was commissioned
for a hospice run by a confraternity of St.
Anthony. So, as you stand, in good health, in
the calm museum gallery, don’t just admire
it as a work of art, think of the first people to
look upon this work and why they did so.
PAGE 17
SPECIAL FEATURE
Thus was established the national porcelain
factory of France, stylistically very influential
in the mid-eighteenth century. During this
time the factory monogram was the cipher of
Louis V: two interlaced ‘L’s; date letters were
added in 1753. After the French Revolution
the state took over the factory and pieces were
marked with ‘RF’ for République Française.
‘Jewel decoration’, where thickly applied
drops of enamel simulated rubies, emeralds
and pearls, was introduced in 1781. Around
this date, a change from the difficult and
expensive soft paste to the less fragile hard
paste, enabled the factory to create massive
heavily-decorated Neo-classical shapes such
as vases without fear that they would collapse.
Peacocks and Porcelain
by Fiona Turnbull
As the new displays in the re-furbished Ceramics Galleries are nearing completion,
we are delighted to print this personal response to an item in the Bowes collection,
from a Vice-President of the Friends.
Since my first visit to the Bowes Museum
in 1969, I have been fascinated by the
collection of Sèvres porcelain – in particular,
the cups, saucers and teapots. Small in scale
and delicate in decoration, these individual
items suited Joséphine’s taste and purse. The
colours are vivid, the decoration is varied,
but the notion of actually drinking from such
delicate vessels is unimaginable.
Soft paste porcelain scratches and chips
more easily than hard paste owing to lower
PAGE 18
firing temperatures. This causes the finished
article to be porous and less robust than hard
paste items. The creamy glaze is glassy and
translucent, enamelling merges into the warm
lustrous surface of the glaze, and finely tooled
gilding enhances the brilliant colours.
The factory was first established in 1738
at the Château of Vincennes. It was
subsequently moved to Sèvres to be closer to
the French court at Versailles, where in 1759
the king became sole owner and chief client.
Ceramics Galleries with my boxes of silks and
cottons, attempting to match the colours and
copy the designs on display.
At first, the pink on the teapot defeated
me with its deceptively complex tones, but
eventually I found a piece of pink shot silk and
embroidered my peacock feather. I was thrilled
when the museum included the actual teapot
alongside a display of my pincushions.
A postscript: in 2000, for the 100th birthday of
Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, Patron
of the Friends, one of my pincushions was
gifted to Her Majesty. The Friends could not,
of course, give her the actual cup and saucer!
My favourite item has always been the tiny
peacock-feathered teapot, with its strong pink
background. Pieces decorated in pink are
regarded as rare. This teapot (or théière) is dated
1758, and the decorator’s mark is attributed to
the bird painter Louis-Denis Armand l’aîné, who
was active from 1745 to 1788.
The marks on the base are the interlaced ‘L’s
and a date letter F. At 9.6 cm high the teapot
is slightly domed in shape and surmounted
by a knob in the form of a flower with foliage.
From scrolls at the top and bottom come ornate
peacock feathers in vert, pre-edged in gold
against the rose background. The ‘eye’ of each
feather is painted in black and blue enamel.
Are peacock feathers in the home lucky or
unlucky? Some cultures consider that they
bring the evil eye into the house, while others
believe that they will ward off the evil spirits.
In 1997, the Darlington Branch of the
Embroiderers’ Guild held an exhibition of
original work inspired by the Bowes Museum.
I chose to make a collection of small
pincushions in the jewel-like colours of my
favourite artefacts. I spent many hours in the
...a collection of small
pincushions in the
jewel-like colours of
my favourite artefacts
PAGE 19
JOHN & JOSEPHINE
A Parliamentary
Portrait
by Howard Coutts, Senior Curator
so it encourages participation in occasional
seminars and group meetings, organised
by Subject Specialist Networks. Following
one such conference in London this year,
entitled Audiences, Authority and Collaboration
in Museum Research, it was possible to make
direct contact with the curatorial staff at the
National Portrait Gallery and ask if they
concurred in the identification. Most helpfully,
the following came back from their curator
Rab MacGibbon:
[T]he portrait has every sign of being a study
for the Reformed House of Commons by George
Hayter (NPG 54). Comparing the Bowes picture
with the finished group portrait, I think we can
be confident that it relates to the figure identified
in Hayter’s key as Henry Cecil Lowther (no.196).
He is sitting just to the left of the second column
… on the right side of the composition, third sitter
down. Henry Lowther (1790-1867), son of the
1st Earl of Lonsdale, fought in the Peninsula
War and served as MP for Westmorland from
1812 until his death...
The House of Commons, 1833 (National Portrait Gallery)
Museum stores are often thought to be hiding places for all kinds of masterpieces,
though this becomes increasingly unlikely as material is studied and put on the
internet. However, it does happen that from time to time that items in store become
upgraded or recognised. One such is our alleged portrait of Lord Herbert Vane
Stewart. I realised this must be by Sir George Hayter (1792 – 1871), as it is very
similar to his portrait of Queen Victoria’s first Prime Minister Lord Melbourne.
More interestingly, the portrait bears many
of the characteristics – the bust length
profile, the brown background – of Hayter’s
studies for his most famous painting, The
House of Commons, 1833: a depiction of the
House of Commons after the Reform Act
of 1832. Having studied the painting at
first hand in the National Portrait Gallery,
PAGE 20
it seems to me that the head was indeed a
study for one of the MPs sitting on the far
right of the picture, but without a key it was
not possible to make a precise identification.
Museum curators may not be specialists in all
their fields. The Arts Council recognises that it
is essential for them to share their knowledge,
that the person in a green coat with curly
hair could be he. However, the following
definitive answer came from Rab:
I have checked Hayter’s own key to the picture
and can confirm that Bowes is not named. There
are a handful of MPs sitting across the front of
the composition with their backs to the viewer.
These MPs are not named in the key.
One can speculate whether this gave Hayter
a degree of latitude when dealing with MPs
offended by their exclusion from the painting
(‘but sir, you are unmistakably sitting right at the
front just by Wellington!’). I don’t think there’s
necessarily any reason to detect a slight in the
omission of Bowes – of the 658 MPs in 1833,
only 372 are included.
So our thanks to Dr. MacGibbon at
the National Portrait Gallery, and our
colleagues within the Network, for clarifying
and identifying this work.
I have been unable to locate a portrait of
Herbert Vane Stewart, so cannot comment on
this alternative identification. However, unless
your files contain evidence to the contrary, I
think Henry Lowther is likely to be the correct
identification.
This is just the kind of specialist help
institutions like the Bowes Museum need,
and it seemed an opportunity to follow up
an enquiry first made by Charles Hardy in
his biography of the Founder: where is our
own John Bowes in the picture?
It was his first parliament; though elected
MP late in 1832, Bowes did not attend the
House of Commons until 1833. Hardy
speculated that John Bowes is one of the
unidentified MPs sitting with their backs
to us near the front of the painting, and
Henry Lowther, by Hayter (Bowes Museum)
PAGE 21
UK Updates
Just Time...
...to visit Harewood House before 1 November. The stately
home near Harrogate is hosting a major exhibition from Kettle’s
Yard in Cambridge (currently closed for refurbishment). Entitled
New Rhythms: Henri Gaudier-Brzeska, Art, Dance and Movement in
London, 1911-1915, it marks the centenary of the French-born
artist’s untimely death in the First World War. Key works from
1913 are Dancer (pictured) and his Vorticist Red Stone Dancer.
These are joined by sculptures and drawings from Harewood’s
own collection.
www.harewood.org/whats-on
Re-launch of
BOWES ARTS
After a reception in July, past, present and potential sponsors of this newsletter enjoyed a
private view of the Yves Saint Laurent: Style is Eternal exhibition. Also invited were current and
former members of the Friends’ Committee and key members of the Bowes Arts production
team, headed by Kieron Goldsborough of Narrative (previously Press Ahead) and his lead
designer Chris Pescod, together with Martin Young of Precision Printing. We are grateful to
David Williams of Calico Images (www.calicoimages.co.uk) for these photographs:
This Year...
...has seen significant developments at York Art Gallery, which
now has a new Centre of Ceramic Art. CoCA brings together
four private collections of British studio ceramics, representing
over 600 artists from the 20th century to the present day.
Among the many pieces on display are pots by Bernard Leach,
Lucie Rie and Magdalene Odundo (pictured): a thrilling
complement to the Bowes Museum’s own newly displayed
collection of European ceramics up to 1900.
www.centreofceramicart.org.uk
Donna Young, Martin Young, Kieron Goldsborough,
Rachel Goldsborough, Chris Pescod and Vicky Pescod
Kieron Goldsborough of Narrative and Diana Collecott,
Editor of Bowes Arts
Caroline Peacock and the Hon. Harry Vane,
Chair and President of the Friends
John Roberts, Sue Roberts (former Hon. Secretary
of the Friends), Angela Ridley and George Laing
(Vice-President of the Friends)
All Change...
...at the National Gallery, which has a new director. Dr Gabriele
Finaldi from the Prado in Madrid (pictured), replaced Sir Nicholas
Penny in August, when members of the Public and Commercial
Services Union employed at the National Gallery began an
indefinite strike. They were protesting privatisation after 400 gallery
assistants and visitor staff had been contracted out to Securitas.
Their union representative was dismissed, but after 111 days
on strike, agreement was reached and employees returned to
work on 5 October. The trustees of the National Gallery had
hitherto defended the Securitas deal as part of its ‘commitment to
modernisation and ... greater flexibility.’ Staff members feared
that, for them, ‘flexibility’ might mean guarding supermarkets
instead of national treasures.
www.nationalgallery.org.uk ; www.pcs.org.uk
PAGE 22
We hope you continue to enjoy the new look Friends’ newsletter.
Please send your comments to [email protected].
Do you have experience in journalism, publishing, or IT?
If so, the current Editor would love to hear from you!
Bowes Arts appears four times a year, in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.
Copy for the next issue must reach the Editor by 1 December.
PAGE 23
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