Page 25 - cn - fg- The Assembly of Time - Studio Brochure - flickbook e- presentation_Neat

Through the mirrored reflection of the Carved Room the composition captures the room and
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curated collection as the 3 Earl of Egremont {1751-1837} had arranged. Collections are by
their assembly and curation a creative act and reflect, as well as define, the collector.
The Great House of Petworth was built in the French Baroque style. It was the creation of
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Charles Seymour the 6 Earl of Somerset {1662-1748}, known as the ‘Proud Duke’. The
scheme for the new house was to remodel the existing manor house of the Earls of Northumber-
land, on his marriage to Lady Elizabeth Percy ( the heiress to the estate) and the daughter of the
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11 and last Earl. The Duke added to the existing ‘Art Collection’ started by the Earls of North-
umberland. In addition, the Duke of Somerset had commissioned Grinling Gibbons to produce
the limewood carvings of flowers, foliage, birds and classical vases for the Carved Room
around 1690. On the death of the Duke, the estate passed by marriage to the Wyndham family.
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It was Charles Wyndham, 2 Earl of Egremont who employed Capability Brown to landscape
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the park. The 2 Earl from his Grand Tour and time in the diplomatic service, had created a
collection of Italian, French and Dutch old masters. In addition, he acquired ancient sculpture
from Greece and Rome. The collection is of importance due to it being intact for the period. The
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2 Earls son, George O’Brien Wyndham, on becoming the 3 Earl of Egremont and over the 74
years at Petworth, further evolved the ‘Petworth Collection’ and became the patron of Turner.
Originally the Carved Room was half its size, the room was lengthened and further elaborated in
the 1780’s by incorporating the adjacent room in order to accommodate large parties of guests.
The reflected space of the Carved Room takes in the high quality copy of Holbein’s portrait of
Henry VIII, the small pastiche portrait of Anne Boleyn, the full length portrait of the 6th Duke
of Somerset and one of a series of four paintings by Turner {the painting within the view is of
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the parkland created by Brown} and commissioned by the 3 Earl. In the outer forefront space
is the Greek bust of ‘Athena with an Aegis’, the Greek Goddess of wisdom, war, the arts, indus-
try, justice and skill. She was the favourite of Zeus.

139388 The Carved Room
601/16 x 481/16 inches -o/c
Petworth, Sussex.