The Wallace Collection

15/10/2026

Who is the woman behind this striking marble bust?

This bust sits at the centre of our display, ‘The Wallace Collection at War.’ Made by English sculptor John Skeaping (1901–1980), it was exhibited at the 1942 ‘Artist Aid Russia’ exhibition here in our museum.

Now, Director of Collections and Research Alison Smith and Art Historian and Guide Lecturer David Wootton reveal the subject of the bust: it is believed to depict Sonia Miller, a British artist of Russian Jewish heritage who studied at the Slade School of Fine Art and specialised in figures in movement.

★ Don’t miss the last few weeks of our fascinating free display
★ THE WALLACE COLLECTION AT WAR
★ Until Sunday 25 October

Learn more: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/the-wallace-collection-at-war/

If you have any more information about Sonia Miller to aid our research, please let us know.

Sonia Miller, attributed to John Skeaping, early 1930s

14/10/2026

🏹 What does this painting tell us about Black history in 17th-century Amsterdam?

A young man in a grey-green jacket holds a golden bow in his right hand while an ornate quiver hangs from his shoulder. His identity is unknown.

This painting was considered a fine example of Rembrandt’s work in the middle of the 19th century when it was acquired by the 4th Marquess of Hertford. However, in the 20th century it was reattributed to one of Rembrandt’s pupils, Govaert Flinck (1615–1660) due to the remains of the artist’s signature, and to the existence of a drawing by Flinck of the same model.

What do we know about this intriguing and pensive figure in the painting?

This painting was most likely not a commissioned portrait, but rather a ‘tronie’ or ‘expression’, a character study often wearing fanciful costume painted for the open market.

Flinck studied in Rembrandt’s studio in Amsterdam’s Jodenbreestraat, 'Jewish Broad Street', within the part of the city that was also home to Amsterdam's Black community.

In the Dutch Republic, slavery was forbidden by law and any person who stepped onto Dutch soil was automatically freed. Though Black immigrants were technically ‘free’, they were amongst the poorest members of society, serving as sailors, soldiers or servants who had accompanied repatriated Dutch families from the colonies.

The sitter here may have been hired by Flinck or the studio as a model, to dress as an archer. Though it is unclear why Flinck chose to depict him as an archer, inscriptions and etchings from the time suggest it may be an allusion to the celebrated bowmen of ancient Nubia in north-eastern Africa.

This October, celebrate Black History Month with us, with free weekly lunchtime talks on the Black stories, voices and histories connected to our collection.

Every Wednesday at 13.00, and a special free talk, ‘Displays of Power: Colonial Legacies and their Manifestations’ on Thursday 29 October.

Learn more: https://www.wallacecollection.org/learn/adults/black-history-month/

Govaert Flinck, A Young Archer, c. 1639–40

12/10/2026

✨ Join our free guided tour of 'Metamorphoses' with Dr Alison Smith on Thursday 15 October, 14.00–15.00.

https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/events/introducing-metamorphoses-porcelain-sculpture-by-rachel-kneebone/

02/10/2026

🍂 Discover what's on at the Wallace Collection.
Sign up to our newsletter: https://www.wallacecollection.org/newsletter/

30/09/2026

28/09/2026

Two-day Workshop: Explore the powerful visual language of the Soviet-inspired propaganda posters shown here at Hertford House, our museum, during the Second World War and create your own hand-printed posters.

🎟 Book your place now: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/events/weekend-masterclass-printing-propaganda/

26/09/2026

★★★★★
'Edgy, nerve-wracking and marvellous'
The Guardian

⚪ NOW OPEN: Discover acclaimed contemporary artist Rachel Kneebone's intricate and mesmerising porcelain sculptures in our free display, ‘Metamorphoses: Porcelain Sculpture by Rachel Kneebone.’

Drawing on themes of movement, transformation and mythology, Kneebone's sculptures are positioned among the gilt, silk, Sèvres porcelain and Boucher and Fragonard rococo paintings of our historic galleries.

‘Metamorphoses’ brings together nine works, including the new sculptures ‘Bower’ and ‘Temple’, created especially for the display.

We invite you to tease out connections between the surreal, tangled forms of the arresting white sculptures and the masterpieces of our museum.

Pick up an illustrated leaflet at the entrance and begin your exploration.

⚪ FREE display
⚪ Learn more: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/metamorphoses-porcelain-sculpture-by-rachel-kneebone/

▫ Rachel Kneebone, Pull, 2023, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone
▫ After the Dance II, 2018, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone
▫ Bower, 2026, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone
▫ Pearl II, 2025, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone
▫ Pearl IV, 2025, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone
▫ After the Dance III, 2018, Porcelain, © Rachel Kneebone

19/09/2026

The artists who fought against fascism

In 1942, Hertford House became an unlikely stage for cultural diplomacy, hosting two exhibitions that raised funds for emergency supplies to the Soviet Union after it was invaded by the N***s.

Our Director of Collections and Research, Dr Alison Smith, introduces a bust of Ivan Maisky, the Soviet Union’s ambassador to the United Kingdom at the time. The bust was exhibited as part of 'Artists Aid Russia', which brought together 900 works by living artists.

Discover more about the Artists International Association, established in 1933 to unify artists against fascism and war, in our special after-hours talk, ‘Wallace at War: An Assembly of Artists in Alliance’, led by Andy Friend.

Andy Friend is curator of 'Comrades in Art, Artists Against Fascism 1933–1943' at Towner Eastbourne

🎟️ Book your place now: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/events/wallace-at-war-an-assembly-of-artists-in-alliance/

★ Wallace at War: An Assembly of Artists in Alliance
🗓️ Monday 28 September
🕰️18.30–19.30⁠
👉At the museum and online

18/09/2026

⚘ How did Rosalba Carriera master the art of personal branding centuries ago?

The Venetian artist Rosalba Giovanna Carriera (1673–1757) was celebrated for developing the art of pastel portraiture. Pastel painting was still considered a comparatively young genre at the time, and Carriera was instrumental in establishing it as a valued medium. She also pioneered the use of ivory as a support, a durable material which provided an ideal tonal background for the pale colour schemes that were fashionable in painting at the time.

Beyond her technical innovations and skill, Carriera was also a savvy entrepreneur. Living at the heart of the Grand Tour in Venice allowed Carriera to market herself to the lagoon’s steady stream of travellers, eager to take home personal keepsakes of their journeys.

The sitter in this miniature wears North Italian dress. As it was not unusual for tourists to sit for portraits in local costume, she may herself have been a traveller seeking a memento of her time in Venice.

Carriera’s mother was a maker of Venetian lace, and it is said that Carriera was particularly talented at lacemaking too. Her skill in creating this fine material is evident in her portraiture, allowing her to capture the intricate detail of lace depicted in the costumes of her sitters.

So convincing were these details that her works were sometimes considered risqué due to the 'delicate lace coverings' on the subjects' clothing 'only just saving their modesty.'

Carriera’s success was recognised far beyond Venice. In 1705, she was appointed a member of the Academy of San Luca in Rome, a distinction bestowed on only a few women at a time when academic training remained largely inaccessible to them. She was subsequently admitted to the Accademia Clementina in Bologna in 1720 and, a year later, to the Académie Royale in Paris.

By the end of her career, Carriera was successful enough to be highly selective about who she portrayed, and her subjects included a young Louis XV of France, Archduchess Marie Teresa of Habsburg, Crown Prince Friedrich Christian of Saxony, as well as English and Irish aristocrats.

This miniature is a stunning demonstration of Carriera’s virtuoso technique on a tiny scale - and a glimpse into how she turned artistic talent and entrepreneurial flair into an international reputation.

🖤 Rosalba Carriera, An Unknown Lady in an Italian Dress, 1710–1720

Join our Fashion Icons online course: https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/events/fashion-icons/

18/09/2026

Leadership was only one part of Winston Churchill’s extraordinary life. He was also a passionate and prolific painter, finding in art a refuge from the pressures of public life and a lifelong source of joy.

This year, the Wallace Collection in London is presenting Winston Churchill: The Painter, the first major retrospective of Churchill’s paintings since his death. The exhibition brings together more than 50 works — including many from private collections rarely seen by the public — and runs through November 29, 2026. The International Churchill Society is proud to have helped make this extraordinary exhibition possible.

Discover the exhibition:
Winston Churchill: The Painter — The Wallace Collection https://www.wallacecollection.org/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/winston-churchill-the-painter/