The Wallace Collection: Marylebone’s Hidden Treasure

By Anne Lawton Browder

A view of the galleries at The Wallace Collection.

Image courtesy of Anne Lawton Browder.

As a certified museum lover, one of the reasons that I have always been drawn to London is its extensive variety of institutions to suit every interest. From the world-renowned to the eclectic, the city truly offers something for everyone. I have visited my fair share of these, but it is to a quiet square in Marylebone that I find myself returning to again and again. In a city overflowing with galleries, The Wallace Collection offers an intimate, contemplative encounter with art, without the queues or ticket price of London’s more popular offerings. Though admission is free, the experience is one that feels quietly luxurious.

A quick walk away from Oxford Street, Baker Street, and Marylebone Village, the Wallace Collection occupies Hertford House, the former London residence of the Marquesses of Hertford. Elegantly situated within a tranquil square, the façade appears stately, yet unassuming, revealing little of the splendour within. It is in that sense of quiet restraint wherein lies much of the collection’s charm. Upon entering, you feel the distinct sense that you have stepped into an exceptionally well-kept secret.

Once inside, visitors are treated to a veritable treasure trove of objets d’art. Room by room, the collection unfolds and within the opulent interiors there is something to suit every interest, including eighteenth-century French decorative arts, gilt bronzes, Sèvres porcelain, Dutch portraiture, and one of the most outstanding suites of arms and armour in the world. Rather than white-cube galleries, jewel-toned walls and polished mantels frame works by Canaletto, Joshua Reynolds, Thomas Gainsborough, and Peter Paul Rubens in an unhurried setting. 

The museum’s character reflects the nineteenth-century reimagining by Sir Richard Wallace, the illegitimate son of the Fourth Marquess of Hertford, whose taste communicates a sense of grandeur, while still feeling accessible. As it exists today, the collection marks the pinnacle of generations of careful curation. What began as the private collection of the earlier Marquesses was greatly expanded upon throughout the eighteenth century to include works of the Northern Tradition, French furniture, and porcelains. By the time it was bequeathed to the British nation in 1897 by Lady Wallace, the final collection comprised more than 5,000 works.

Jean-Honoré Fragonard, The Swing, 1767, oil on canvas, H 81 x W 64.2 cm, The Wallace Collection. Image courtesy of Anne Lawton Browder.

One of the first pieces to catch my eye was Jean-Honoré Fragonard’s The Swing (1767). Fragonard has long been one of my favourite artists, yet to view his Rococo masterpiece in person brought a whole new dimension to my understanding of it. In photos and reproductions, the work feels almost larger than life, suitably dramatic in accordance with Late-Baroque exuberance. Here in the collection, however, set against candy-striped floral walls, I was struck by its relatively small size. The work is fabulously playful, with the airborne slipper and conspiratorial glances feeling wholly appropriate to its composition. To encounter the painting up close was incredibly revealing, and I was awed by its detail and dynamism despite its small scale. Equally marvelous in situ, Rubens’s The Rainbow Landscape (1636) glows at close range, with his signature emphasis on light and shadow offering a delightful glimpse into a late-career meditation on pastoral domesticity.

Still, the extensive collection of paintings is only the beginning. Just a few steps will carry you from genre scenes to portraiture, then to lacquered furniture, gilded mounts, and cabinets that reward unhurried looking. The armoury collection in itself is a showstopper, and the overall diversity of the collection makes an afternoon spent at the Wallace uniquely satisfying. 

A view of a room at The Wallace Collection.

Image courtesy of Anne Lawton Browder

To be sure, the Wallace won’t suit every visitor. Within London’s museum ecology, it sits at a crossroads: central, rich in objects, and yet far less frequented than the National Gallery, the V&A, or the Tate. Some of its seclusion is geographical, Manchester Square being slightly removed from typical tourist centres, while some is institutional. The Wallace still retains the character of a house museum, and the experience leans more aesthetic than didactic. Travelers short on time seeking blockbuster works, exhaustive labels, or big-ticket special exhibitions may find themselves looking elsewhere.

But for those who prefer quiet contemplation, historical interiors, and the feeling of encountering a hidden gem among London’s offerings, the Wallace offers the ideal balance. Consider it a standing invitation to look a little longer.

Bibliography

The Wallace Collection. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.wallacecollection.org.