The Pink Drawing Room
The display of this room evokes the appearance of the Pink Drawing Room at Bath House, which the Wernhers filled with spectacular 18th-century French furniture, decorative arts and British portraits against a backdrop of pink silk wall hangings.
Most of the decorative art on display here was made in France during the 18th century. It exemplifies the rich consumer’s taste for refined decoration, expensive materials and novel techniques. Many of the ceramic pieces were produced at Sèvres in Paris, the finest porcelain manufactory in Europe.
Scroll down to find the key objects to look for on each tour.
Star object
Bracket clock
- Movement by Jean Godde; clock case attributed to André-Charles Boulle
- 1690
- Blackened oak carcass and ormolu (gilt bronze)
- France
The intricate design of this grand bracket clock emphasises the sculptural skill involved in creating the clock case, rather than the technical elements of the clock’s inner workings. This was a new type of clock design developed in the 17th century by André-Charles Boulle, the most influential cabinetmaker of his time. His pieces were finished with gilt-bronze sculptural mounts, as here. These highlighted the corners, keyholes and handles, as well as figurative scenes such as the depiction of the god Apollo driving his chariot at the base.
The clock case, attributed to Boulle, is decorated with thin inlaid and patterned wood veneers known as marquetry.
Artists and makers
Mrs Quarrington as Saint Agnes
- Sir Joshua Reynolds
- 1771
- Oil on canvas
- Britain
It was common for 18th-century actors and actresses to be portrayed performing in their roles. Here, Joshua Reynolds shows the British actress Mrs Quarrington as the 4th-century martyr St Agnes. He exhibited this portrait at the Royal Academy exhibition in 1772.
Saints are usually depicted with an identifying object or an attribute related to their martyrdom. St Agnes’s attribute is a lamb, a symbol of innocence and purity, and here Mrs Quarrington holds a lamb under her right arm.
