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Petworth House
The Somerset Room
This room originally formed part of the Duke's muchlarger Servants' Hall, which the 2nd Earl of Egremont converted
into a dining-room and was presumably named after the 6th Duke of Somerset.
The Somerset Room; watercolour-gouache by J.M.W.Turner, c.1827 (Tate Gallery)
The Somerset Room was intended both as a room for the display of pictures
and sculpture, and as a servery for the Square Dining Room which was created
by the 3rd Earl about 1795. Food would have been warmed up here before
transfer into the Square Dining Room. By 1869 it had become the Oak Dining Room.
Frans Snyders (1579-1657). Concert of Birds
Bought by the 2nd Earl in 1759. The elaborate and unusual frame was probably made in c.1760-3 by Samuel
Norman for the Dining Room at Egremont House, Piccadilly.
Imaginary Landscape - see above.. Aelbert Cuyp (1620-91)
Imaginary Landscape with Cattle, Huntsmen and a Horseman, Probably painted in the mid-1650s, and perhaps
inspired by the landscape near Nijmegen, in east Holland, it was bought by the 3rd Earl between 1829 and 1834.
Sir Peter Lely (1618-80). The Younger Children of Charles I
The children are: Henry, Duke of Gloucester, aged 8; Elizabeth, aged 12; and James, Duke of York (the future James II),
aged 14. The picture was commissioned in 1647 by the 10th Earl of Northumberland, in whose custody the children were
placed after the fall of Oxford, and was painted at Syon. It was lent to the King during his imprisonment at Hampton
Court.
St.John the Baptist; by Adam Elsheimer (1578-1610)
Saints and Prophets from the Old and New Testaments. On Copper
Originally the set contained ten, rather than eight pictures. They were placed in individual Rococo
frames by Joseph Duffour.
Meindert Hobbema (1638-1709). Landscape with a Coppice
Probably painted c.1663, and possibly inherited by the 3rd Earl from
the Earl of Thomond in 1774.
Bernardo Bellotto (1720-80). The Capitol, Rome
Bellotto's paintings are much rarer in England than those of his master and uncle,. Canaletto. This picture
painted in c.1742, was probably acquired by the 2nd or 3rd Earl.
William Hoare, RA (1706-92). Sir Charles Wyndham, 2nd Earl of Egremont
(1710-63)
Politician, collector of Old Master paintings and Antique sculpture, patron
of leading furniture makers, and creator of the park at Petworth, painted
at the end of his life.
Attributed to Hieronymus Bosch (c.1450-1516). The Adoration of the Kings
This is a high-quality variant of the central panel of Bosch's triptych
of the Epithany of c.1495 in the Prado Madrid.
Claude Gellée, known as Claude (1600-82). Landscape with Jacob and Laban
Genesis (xxix, v.16-20) tells the story of Jacob's love for the beautiful Rachel, whom he eventually married
as a reward for his long service to her father, Laban, depicted here flanked by Rachel and hs elder daughter, Leah.
Painted in Rome in 1654 for Carlo Cardelli (1626-62) and bought in London c.1686 by the 6th Duke.
Attributed to Titian (c.1487/90 - 1576) and another hand. Naked Venus and a Satyr
Acquired, perhaps via Van Dyck, by the 10th Earl of Northumberland. In 1652 it was described as a 'Mars and Venus',
but it was damaged and partially repainted between then and 1671, when it was listed with its present title.
It's poor condition makes the 1652 attribution to Titian difficult to confirm.
Paul Bril (1554-1626). Landscape with Troglodyte Goatherds
Bought in 1754 by the 2nd Earl for £126. The frame is early 18th century.
Past Furnishings:
From the accounts of the 3rd Earl, they indicate that the Somerset Room was probably the first location
of his shrine to Napoleon - a new doorway from 'Bonaparte's Room'
to the Square Dining Room was made in 1812. Turner's view of
c.1827 (The Somerset Room, watercolour-gouache) shows the Somerset
Room thickly hung with pictures and with antique statuary in the corners
of the room.
Chimneypiece
The marble chimneypiece must have been inserted by the 3rd Earl in the early nineteenth century.
It is possible that it is one of the 'five marble chimneypieces
at Petworth House £40 each' made by the sculptor J.E.Carew (1785-1868)
Sculpture:
Venus de Medici
An 18th century Italian or French bronze reduction of the famous Antique statue in
the Uffizi, Florence.
Furniture
Giltwood sofa and chairs
(from a much larger set) are attributed to Thomas Chippendale, who certainly
supplied the 3rd Earl with furniture in 1779. In 1764 the set was split between the White and Gold Room
and the King of Spain's Bedchamber.
Writing-table
Decorated with Boulle-work is French, c.1690, in the manner of André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732).
Writing table
Decorated with Boulle-work of pewter and tortoiseshell inlays on a brass
ground is in the manner of Gerrit Jensen (active 1680 - d.1715), but stamped
by a later cabinetmaker, Charles-Michel Cochois (d.1765)
Giltwood pier-glass
Supplied to the 2nd Earl of Egremont by James Whittle (active 1731-d.1759).
Giltwood pier-table
French in the Louis XVI style, c.1785, and is stamped by the Parisian
cabinetmaker Jean-Baptiste-Claude Sené (1747-1803; 'maître' 1769).
Giltwood side-table
English c.1755
Four-fold screen
Made up of panels of early 18th century Dutch or Spanish Leather.
Large walnut centre-table
Essentially early 17th century. The table was presumably made for the 9th Earl of Northumberland (1564-1632).
Porcelain
Two 'assiettes à soupe '(soup plates)
From a set of 18 in décor 'fleurs filets bleu' (flowers and blue ribbon) supplied to the 3rd Earl
of Egremont by the Sèvres factory on 13th September 1774.
Two 'Seaux crenelés' (crenellated buckets - for cooling wine glasses)
Large Chinese bulbous bottle.
decorated with an overall raised white slip design on a celadon ground c.1800
Pieces from a service, English, Coalport factory c.1805
A pair of Chinese famille rose baluster two-handled vases , c.1830
Chandelier
Ormolu colza oil chandelier.
Made in c.1825 for the North Gallery, and is one of a pair that hung at either end of the South Corridor.
Book
The illumunated manuscript, c.1420-30.
On vellum with decorated initials and borders, is one of the earliest texts
of Geoffrey Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
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