For the first time in 170 years over
120 objects will be returning from the
East Wing of Buckingham Palace to the
Royal Pavilion in Brighton, George IV's
fantastical architectural creation.
The purpose of it? It was a seaside
retreat, away from the constraints of his
father's very conservative and rather
dull court. Here George could live a life
unconstrained by court etiquette.
He could indulge all his fantasies here
to his heart's content. It was widely felt
that after Queen Victoria decided that
she no longer wanted to live here the
building was likely to be demolished.
And so in 1847 and 1848 the building
was completely stripped of its contents.
About 2 years ago, I suppose in 2017
we were in the planning stages of the
reservicing project and so I called up
David Beevers, Keeper of the Royal
Pavilion, and suggested to him that
there might be the possiblity of a loan,
should Her Majesty agree to this loan
request.
We're very lucky that George
commissioned a watercolourist called
Augustus Pugin to do a series of
watercolours of the interiors of the
completed building in the 1820s.
They depict most of the grand rooms in
minute detail. So we know exactly
where things were placed.
Reservicing of the East Wing at
Buckingham Palace has given us an
unparalleled opportunity to take on loan
about 123 objects from the Royal Collection.
The 2 grand rooms here are the
Music Room
and the Banquetting Room, which
reflect George's interests in eating, for
which he never lost, right till the end,
and music, which was a great passion
of his.
There was also the central room which
was the Saloon which was a formal
reception room. And these 3 rooms are
the rooms where the most significant
loans are going to take place.
Frederick Crace and Robert Jones
created these extraordinary lavish
interiors. They also designed furniture
for these interiors. So in the
Banquetting Room there's a whole set
of sideboard tables, designed by
Robert Jones in the Chinese style,
a wonderful clock and barometer, in a
Chinese style, really lavish, wonderful
things, sort of writhing serpents,
all designed for this room. So it was kind
of the theatre of the table, that's what
eating was about in a building like this.
It wasn't just gluttony, it was
appreciating the taste of George, his
lavish expenditure, and of course that
he could afford the best possible chefs.
But these were really an opportunity for
George to show off his taste.
In the Music Room, Frederick Crace
and a team of 44 assistants painted
elaborate mural decorations, oil on
canvas, which were done 1817-1820.
These are imaginary Chinese landscapes
with pagodas in them. So on the walls
you have pagodas in 2D and
in the room itself George acquired a set
of lavish porcelain pagodas in 3D.
So the Music Room is intended as a
room where there was a kind of
interplay between 2 and 3 dimensions.
The Banquetting Room Gallery and the
Music Room Gallery were reception
rooms, sitting rooms really. But they
were also used for dancing and light
suppers.
These were furnished in a very lavish
style with his collection of mounted
Chinese ceramics, with elaborate
gilt bronze mounts, these combined 2 of
George's enthusiasms: the arts of the
East and the arts of France.
Because the gilt bronze mounts were
often French or in a very French
influenced style.
I have to say it has been an extremely
happy collaboration between the
Royal Pavilion and the Royal Collection.
What has been so encouraging has
been the enthusiasm with which the
staff at the Royal Collection have
approached this loan.
This is a very exciting project which will
give visitors who haven't had the
opportunity to see these wonderful
pieces in Buckingham Palace, they will
now be able to see them in Brighton at
the Royal Pavilion.
I think they will be absolutely amazed
by what they see, what today is called
the 'Wow factor'. If people don't do that
I will be very disappointed.