London · Marylebone

Wallace Collection

It might lack the name recognition of some of London's bigger galleries, but the place is a true treasure trove of fantastic art.

Open daily, 10:00 to 17:00 Free entry Hertford House, Manchester Square, W1U 3BN Bond Street, 7 min walk

The Great Gallery at the Wallace Collection: a long room with red damask walls hung with gilt-framed Old Master paintings, a glazed skylight running the length of the ceiling, and inlaid furniture on a parquet floor — The Great Gallery. The Laughing Cavalier, Titian's *Perseus and Andromeda* and Rubens' *Rainbow Landscape* all hang in this one room.

What it is

Located in Hertford House, a huge Georgian residence in stylish Marylebone, the collection was built up during the 18th and 19th centuries. The key players here were the Marquesses of Hertford, as well as Sir Richard Wallace, the illegitimate (but still very rich) son of the fourth Marquess.

Between them, these fancy aristocrats amassed a stunning range of works, spanning both the fine and decorative arts. This includes a world-leading spread of Old Master paintings, with pieces by the likes of Titian, Rubens and Velázquez. But equally impressive are the gallery's holdings from 18th century France, with Jean-Honoré Fragonard's The Swing the star attraction.

In 1897, this immense collection was left to the British state by Wallace's widow, Julie; and as if that wasn't generous enough, the bequest also stipulated that entry had to be free of charge.

The same bequest said nothing may ever be lent out. Whatever you come to see will be here.

4Tours in MuseMuse

35Artworks covered

30Artists

90Minutes, longest tour

Tours you can take here

Four, in MuseMuse

See the whole collection

Highlights

9 pieces · 45 min

The nine you would regret missing.

The Grand Tour

19 pieces · 90 min

The whole house, in walking order.

Or pick a theme

Forgotten Tales

6 pieces · 30 min

Myths the painters assumed you already knew.

Heroes & Tyrants

6 pieces · 30 min

Power on canvas, and how thin the line turns out to be.

Paintings you’ll see

Hover a painting for its story

The Swing

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1767 · The Study

The Baron who commissioned it wanted a bishop pushing the swing. Fragonard gave him a cuckolded husband instead, and kept the church off his back.

The Laughing Cavalier

Frans Hals, 1624 · The Great Gallery

He is not laughing and he is not a cavalier. An exhibition in 1888 gave him the name and it stuck. What Hals called it, nobody knows.

The Rising of the Sun

François Boucher, 1753 · The Grand Staircase

Madame de Pompadour ordered it as a design for a tapestry in the king’s bedroom, then kept the painting, which she was not supposed to do.

The Lady with a Fan

Diego Velázquez, about 1640 · The Great Gallery

Nobody knows who she is. The leading guess is a French duchess who fled to Spain dressed as a man, to get away from Cardinal Richelieu.

Plan your visit

Hertford House, the Wallace Collection: a red brick Georgian mansion with a stone portico and columned entrance, set behind a lawn on Manchester Square — Hertford House, on the north side of Manchester Square. No queue, no ticket desk. Walk up the steps and in.

Hours: Daily, 10:00 to 17:00Closed 24, 25 and 26 December
Admission: FreePermanent collection. Some temporary exhibitions are ticketed separately.
Address: Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BNwallacecollection.org
How long: 90 minutes does it properly45 if you take Highlights and leave

Underground: Bond Street, 7 minCentral, Jubilee and Elizabeth lines. Step-free via the lifts at the Marylebone Lane entrance.
Also near: Marble Arch 10 min, Oxford Circus 12 min, Baker Street 13 min
Food: The Wallace Restaurant, in the glazed courtyardDaily, 10:00 to 17:00. Afternoon tea is served, and worth booking.
Good to know: Rooms occasionally close at short noticeThe museum lists current closures on its own site.

Questions

Is it really free?

Yes, and it has to be. Lady Wallace's 1897 bequest made free entry a condition of the gift. Temporary exhibitions are sometimes ticketed separately, but the collection itself has never charged and cannot start.

How long do I need?

Ninety minutes covers the house properly. Forty-five gets you the paintings people come for. It is small enough that you will not need a second visit, and good enough that you will want one.

Do I need to book?

No. Walk in.

Will the painting I want to see be there?

Almost certainly. The terms of the bequest forbid lending anything out, so the Wallace never sends work to other museums. Occasionally a room closes for conservation, which the museum lists on its own site.

What do most people miss?

The first floor. Visitors come for the paintings and miss one of the best collections of arms and armour in the country.

Is there anywhere to eat?

The Wallace Restaurant sits in the glazed courtyard at the centre of the house, open the same hours as the museum. It does afternoon tea, which is worth booking.

Do I need headphones?

Bring some. Every artwork has audio as well as written text, and museums are quiet rooms where other people are concentrating. If you would rather read, you can.

What else is nearby?

Marylebone High Street is five minutes away and is the nicest run of shops in central London.