The Wallace Collection

From Intimacy to Grandeur: the refurbishment of four rooms and four galleries at Hertford House

The successful completion in 2007 of the Study, Oval Drawing Room and Large and Small Drawing Rooms has been a revelation. It has proved that the glories of the works of art are much more readily enjoyed and understood by the visitor than they were before, it has exposed alarmingly the drabness of adjacent rooms, and it has enticed wonderful benefactors, Sir John Ritblat and Manny and Brigitta Davidson, who now have their names up in gold lettering in the rooms they sponsored. In the hope of addressing four further rooms and three galleries, leading to the Great Gallery, which we plan to restore to honour the memory of Simon Sainsbury, we are now looking for generous supporters to share our vision for the next phase of Wallace Collection improvements.

Our dream is to create rooms and galleries as vibrant and unique as the works of art they contain. The atmosphere and colours chosen for each will enhance thematic displays and there will be a marked contrast between the domestic rooms and the top-lit galleries. By 2012 we want to offer the visitor a magnificent new experience from the Landing to the end of the West Galleries on the first floor of Hertford House, but to do this we need to attract the necessary funding.

We hope to entice you to help us with our project. You may find yourself drawn to a particular room because of your own interests, memories or pleasures (the Venetian Gallery for instance), and of course you could become the sole sponsor of a room of your choice. Or you may wish to contribute to smaller elements of our great plan. We would so welcome your enthusiastic support and would be thrilled to hear from you.

Director