Upton House
Encyclopedia
Upton House is a country house in the parish of Ratley
and Upton
, in the English county of Warwickshire
, about northwest of Banbury
, Oxfordshire
. It is in the care of the National Trust
.
The estate passed through various hands until the early 16th cnetury when it was bought by Sir Willima Danvers. It remained with the Danvers family until 1688 when Sir Rushout Cullen
purchased the estate for £7,000. Cullen built the house for himself in about 1695.
The estate passed through several families. In 1757 the house was bought by banker Francis Child for use as a hunting lodge and it ramained in the Jersey family until the end of the 19th century when it was held by George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey. In 1927 the estate was acquired by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted
, who owed his fortune to the fact that his father Marcus Samuel
was the founder of the oil company Shell Transport & Trading. Lord Bearsted donated the house, gardens and art collection to the National Trust in 1948.
Lord Bearsted's son, the 3rd Viscount, lived at Upton from 1948 until his death in 1986 and added to the gift to the National Trust the collection of fine porcelain. On the death of the 3rd Viscount, the furniture and other items on view in the rooms were offered to the nation by his daughter, Hon. Mrs. R. Waley-Cohen, through the "in lieu" system, on condition that they remain at Upton and on view to the public.
Mrs. Waley-Cohen continued to live in the house untll 1988, when the family moved to another property on the estate. In October 1991 she offered for sale by public auction, a large number of items which were considered surplus to requiremnts. The sale at the housae by Christie's
, in a total of 1083 separate lots, included pictures, furniture, porcelain, silver, objects and carpets.
. It was considerably expanded from 1927-1929 for the 2nd Viscount Bearsted by Morley Horder who retained the Carolean style appearance of the exterior while introducing some art déco
elements in the interior, particularly in the bathroom for Lady Bearsted, where the walls are covered in aluminium leaf. The style of interiors at Upton has been described by Osbert Lancaster
as Curzon Street Baroque.
A main attraction of Upton is the garden. A lawn, with huge cedar trees, sweeps gently down from the house and below is an extensive terraced garden. The garden features a kitchen garden
, a series of herbaceous border
s and a large lake with water lilies
in a small valley. The terracing, unseen from the house and on a first visit unsuspected, contains the National Collection of Asters. In use since the 12th century, the gardens were largely transformed by Kitty Lloyd-Jones for Lady Bearsted in the 1920s and 1930s, including the creation of a rare Bog Garden on the site of medieval fish pond
s.
bathroom and a collection of early Shell advertising posters, together with some of their original artwork, by such artists as Rex Whistler
.
The collection was assembled by Lord Bearsted, helped by his being a Trustee of the National Gallery
. Lord Bearsted's sister Nellie Inonides also became an avid collector. The collection at Upton includes English and Continental old master
s: Tiepolo
, Anthony Devis
, Francesco Guardi
, Jan Steen
, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Thomas Gainsborough
, Joshua Reynolds
, Tintoretto
and Rogier van der Weyden.
Highlights of the collection include:
There is also a collection of English fine porcelain
, including Chelsea
, Derby
, Bow and Worcester
, as well as some French Sèvres
.
Ratley
Ratley is a village in the civil parish of Ratley and Upton, South Warwickshire, England. It lies on the north west side of the Edge Hill escarpment about 200m above sea level...
and Upton
Upton, Warwickshire
Upton is a village in south-west Warwickshire, England. It is just off the A46, between Alcester and Stratford-upon-Avon, about a mile east of Alcester....
, in the English county of Warwickshire
Warwickshire
Warwickshire is a landlocked non-metropolitan county in the West Midlands region of England. The county town is Warwick, although the largest town is Nuneaton. The county is famous for being the birthplace of William Shakespeare...
, about northwest of Banbury
Banbury
Banbury is a market town and civil parish on the River Cherwell in the Cherwell District of Oxfordshire. It is northwest of London, southeast of Birmingham, south of Coventry and north northwest of the county town of Oxford...
, Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire
Oxfordshire is a county in the South East region of England, bordering on Warwickshire and Northamptonshire , Buckinghamshire , Berkshire , Wiltshire and Gloucestershire ....
. It is in the care of the National Trust
National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty
The National Trust for Places of Historic Interest or Natural Beauty, usually known as the National Trust, is a conservation organisation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland...
.
History
It was built on the site of the hamlet of Upton, which was destroyed in about 1500 when the land was cleared for pasture.The estate passed through various hands until the early 16th cnetury when it was bought by Sir Willima Danvers. It remained with the Danvers family until 1688 when Sir Rushout Cullen
Cullen Baronets
The Baronetcy of Cullen of East Sheen was created in the Baronetage of England on 17 June 1616 for Abraham Cullen, Member of Parliament for Evesham 1661-1668. His second son, the third baronet, Member of Parliament for Cambridge bought an estate in Warwickshire and built Upton House there in 1695...
purchased the estate for £7,000. Cullen built the house for himself in about 1695.
The estate passed through several families. In 1757 the house was bought by banker Francis Child for use as a hunting lodge and it ramained in the Jersey family until the end of the 19th century when it was held by George Child Villiers, 5th Earl of Jersey. In 1927 the estate was acquired by Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted
Walter Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted
Colonel Walter Horace Samuel, 2nd Viscount Bearsted MC was a British peer and former Chairman of the Shell Transport and Trading Company. He was also a prominent art collector, storing many of his pieces at his family home at Upton House in Warwickshire, and a philanthropist...
, who owed his fortune to the fact that his father Marcus Samuel
Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted
Marcus Samuel, 1st Viscount Bearsted JP , known as Sir Marcus Samuel, 1st Baronet between 1903 and 1921 and subsequently as The Lord Bearsted until 1925, was the founder of the Shell Transport and Trading Company, a precursor to Royal Dutch Shell.-Career:Samuel was born into a Jewish family in...
was the founder of the oil company Shell Transport & Trading. Lord Bearsted donated the house, gardens and art collection to the National Trust in 1948.
Lord Bearsted's son, the 3rd Viscount, lived at Upton from 1948 until his death in 1986 and added to the gift to the National Trust the collection of fine porcelain. On the death of the 3rd Viscount, the furniture and other items on view in the rooms were offered to the nation by his daughter, Hon. Mrs. R. Waley-Cohen, through the "in lieu" system, on condition that they remain at Upton and on view to the public.
Mrs. Waley-Cohen continued to live in the house untll 1988, when the family moved to another property on the estate. In October 1991 she offered for sale by public auction, a large number of items which were considered surplus to requiremnts. The sale at the housae by Christie's
Christie's
Christie's is an art business and a fine arts auction house.- History :The official company literature states that founder James Christie conducted the first sale in London, England, on 5 December 1766, and the earliest auction catalogue the company retains is from December 1766...
, in a total of 1083 separate lots, included pictures, furniture, porcelain, silver, objects and carpets.
Description
Upton is a long low house built of local yellow sandstoneSandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
. It was considerably expanded from 1927-1929 for the 2nd Viscount Bearsted by Morley Horder who retained the Carolean style appearance of the exterior while introducing some art déco
Art Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
elements in the interior, particularly in the bathroom for Lady Bearsted, where the walls are covered in aluminium leaf. The style of interiors at Upton has been described by Osbert Lancaster
Osbert Lancaster
Sir Osbert Lancaster, CBE was an English cartoonist, author, art critic and stage designer, best known to the public at large for his cartoons published in the Daily Express.-Biography:Lancaster was born in London, England...
as Curzon Street Baroque.
A main attraction of Upton is the garden. A lawn, with huge cedar trees, sweeps gently down from the house and below is an extensive terraced garden. The garden features a kitchen garden
Kitchen garden
The traditional kitchen garden, also known as a potager, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden - the ornamental plants and lawn areas...
, a series of herbaceous border
Herbaceous border
A herbaceous border is a collection of perennial herbaceous plants arranged closely together, usually to create a dramatic effect through colour, shape or large scale. The term herbaceous border is mostly in use in the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth...
s and a large lake with water lilies
Water lily
The phrase "water lily" is used to describe aquatic plants of the following families, which have lily pads:* Nymphaeaceae* Nelumbonaceae , also called "lotus"Water lily may also refer to:...
in a small valley. The terracing, unseen from the house and on a first visit unsuspected, contains the National Collection of Asters. In use since the 12th century, the gardens were largely transformed by Kitty Lloyd-Jones for Lady Bearsted in the 1920s and 1930s, including the creation of a rare Bog Garden on the site of medieval fish pond
Fish pond
A fish pond, or fishpond, is a controlled pond, artificial lake, or reservoir that is stocked with fish and is used in aquaculture for fish farming, or is used for recreational fishing or for ornamental purposes...
s.
Art Collection
Perhaps uniquely among country houses owned by the National Trust it's significance lies principally in its art collection. The house is presented more as an art gallery than as a private home, although care has been taken to restore the house to how it looked in the 1930s. It contains a unique art decoArt Deco
Art deco , or deco, is an eclectic artistic and design style that began in Paris in the 1920s and flourished internationally throughout the 1930s, into the World War II era. The style influenced all areas of design, including architecture and interior design, industrial design, fashion and...
bathroom and a collection of early Shell advertising posters, together with some of their original artwork, by such artists as Rex Whistler
Rex Whistler
Reginald John 'Rex' Whistler was a British artist, designer and illustrator.-Biography:Rex Whistler was born in Eltham, Kent, the son of Henry and Helen Frances Mary Whistler...
.
The collection was assembled by Lord Bearsted, helped by his being a Trustee of the National Gallery
National gallery
The National Gallery is an art gallery on Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom.National Gallery may also refer to:*Armenia: National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan*Australia:**National Gallery of Australia, Canberra...
. Lord Bearsted's sister Nellie Inonides also became an avid collector. The collection at Upton includes English and Continental old master
Old Master
"Old Master" is a term for a European painter of skill who worked before about 1800, or a painting by such an artist. An "old master print" is an original print made by an artist in the same period...
s: Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo
Giovanni Battista Tiepolo , also known as Gianbattista or Giambattista Tiepolo, was an Italian painter and printmaker from the Republic of Venice...
, Anthony Devis
Anthony Devis
Anthony Devis was an English landscape painter.Anthony Devis was born in Preston, Lancashire. His father's name was also Anthony Devis, who was a carpenter and town councillor in the town. Anthony junior was the older of two sons of his father's second marriage, to Anne Blackburne...
, Francesco Guardi
Francesco Guardi
Francesco Lazzaro Guardi was a Venetian painter of veduta, a member of the Venetian School. He is considered to be among the last practitioners, along with his brothers, of the classic Venetian school of painting....
, Jan Steen
Jan Steen
Jan Havickszoon Steen was a Dutch genre painter of the 17th century . Psychological insight, sense of humour and abundance of colour are marks of his trade.-Life:...
, Melchior de Hondecoeter, Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough
Thomas Gainsborough was an English portrait and landscape painter.-Suffolk:Thomas Gainsborough was born in Sudbury, Suffolk. He was the youngest son of John Gainsborough, a weaver and maker of woolen goods. At the age of thirteen he impressed his father with his penciling skills so that he let...
, Joshua Reynolds
Joshua Reynolds
Sir Joshua Reynolds RA FRS FRSA was an influential 18th-century English painter, specialising in portraits and promoting the "Grand Style" in painting which depended on idealization of the imperfect. He was one of the founders and first President of the Royal Academy...
, Tintoretto
Tintoretto
Tintoretto , real name Jacopo Comin, was a Venetian painter and a notable exponent of the Renaissance school. For his phenomenal energy in painting he was termed Il Furioso...
and Rogier van der Weyden.
Highlights of the collection include:
- The Duet or "Le corset blue" (mid 1660s) by Gabriel MetsuGabriel MetsuGabriël Metsu was a Dutch painter of history paintings, genre works and portraits.- Life :Metsu was the son of the Flemish painter Jacques Metsu , who lived most of his days at Leiden, and Jacomijntje Garniers, his third wife, whom he married in 1625. Jacomijntje was the widow of a painter with...
- Self Portrait of the Artist Engraving (1783) by Richard Morton Paye
- William Beckford (1782) by George RomneyGeorge Romney (painter)George Romney was an English portrait painter. He was the most fashionable artist of his day, painting many leading society figures - including his artistic muse, Emma Hamilton, mistress of Lord Nelson....
(purchased by 1st Viscount Bearstead in the mistaken belief it was Beckford's father) - The Interior of the Church of St. Catherine, Utrecht (1655–1660) by Pieter Jansz. Saenredam
- Martin Rize (1612) by Frans PourbusFrans Pourbus the youngerFrans Pourbus the younger was a Flemish painter, son of Frans Pourbus the Elder and grandson of Pieter Pourbus. He was born in Antwerp and died in Paris...
- Adoration of the Kings (c. 1495), a tryptych by Hieronymous Bosch
- Bacino di San Marco, Venice (c. 1725-26) by CanalettoCanalettoGiovanni Antonio Canal better known as Canaletto , was a Venetian painter famous for his landscapes, or vedute, of Venice. He was also an important printmaker in etching.- Early career :...
- The Death of the Virgin (1564) (grisailleGrisailleGrisaille is a term for painting executed entirely in monochrome or near-monochrome, usually in shades of grey. It is particularly used in large decorative schemes in imitation of sculpture. Many grisailles in fact include a slightly wider colour range, like the Andrea del Sarto fresco...
) and The Massacre of the Innocents by Pieter Bruegel the Elder - Morning and Night, two of the Four Times of the DayFour Times of the DayFour Times of the Day is a series of four paintings by English artist William Hogarth. Completed in 1736, they were reproduced as a series of four engravings published in 1738. They are humorous depictions of life in the streets of London, the vagaries of fashion, and the interactions between the...
(c. 1736), by William HogarthWilliam HogarthWilliam Hogarth was an English painter, printmaker, pictorial satirist, social critic and editorial cartoonist who has been credited with pioneering western sequential art. His work ranged from realistic portraiture to comic strip-like series of pictures called "modern moral subjects"... - The Labourers (1779), The Haymakers (1783) and The Reapers (1783) by George StubbsGeorge StubbsGeorge Stubbs was an English painter, best known for his paintings of horses.-Biography:Stubbs was born in Liverpool, the son of a currier and leather merchant. Information on his life up to age thirty-five is sparse, relying almost entirely on notes made by fellow artist Ozias Humphry towards the...
- The Disrobing of Christ (El Espolio) by El GrecoEl GrecoEl Greco was a painter, sculptor and architect of the Spanish Renaissance. "El Greco" was a nickname, a reference to his ethnic Greek origin, and the artist normally signed his paintings with his full birth name in Greek letters, Δομήνικος Θεοτοκόπουλος .El Greco was born on Crete, which was at...
(c. 1579) (purchased by Viscount Bearstead in July 1938 for the sum of £5,000)
There is also a collection of English fine porcelain
Porcelain
Porcelain is a ceramic material made by heating raw materials, generally including clay in the form of kaolin, in a kiln to temperatures between and...
, including Chelsea
Chelsea porcelain factory
The Chelsea porcelain manufactory is the first important porcelain manufactory in England; its earliest soft-paste porcelain, aimed at the aristocratic market—cream jugs in the form of two seated goats—are dated 1745...
, Derby
Royal Crown Derby
The Royal Crown Derby Porcelain Company is a porcelain manufacturer, based in Derby, England. The company, particularly known for its high-quality bone china, has produced tableware and ornamental items since approximately 1750...
, Bow and Worcester
Royal Worcester
Royal Worcester is believed to be the oldest remaining English pottery brand still in existence today.-Overview:Royal Worcester is a British brand known for its history, provenance and classically English collections of porcelain...
, as well as some French Sèvres
Sèvres
Sèvres is a commune in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris.The town is known for its porcelain manufacture, the Manufacture nationale de Sèvres, making the famous Sèvres porcelain, as well as being the location of the International Bureau of Weights...
.