Partner Property
Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery: Find out more about Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, or visit their website.
About the talk
Sir John Soane designed Pitzhanger as his country house between 1800-1804 to create a showcase for his architectural skills, as well as his growing collection of artefacts. It soon became his elegant stage set for the entertainment of friends, celebrities and potential clients: he threw grand garden parties and held fascinating dinners for the beau monde of the time. Guests included the artist JMW Turner, a fellow academician, with whom Soane enjoyed fishing in the lake at Pitzhanger, and numerous other personalities from the worlds of finance, politics, theatre, journalism and literature.
In this talk, Clare Gough tours the entertaining rooms at Pitzhanger Manor, introducing some of the personalities that graced Soane’s table, and casts light on how Soane used these parties to show off his skill as a designer to potential clients.
About the speaker
Clare Gough is Director of Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, Sir John Soane’s ‘country’ house in Ealing, West London and its adjacent contemporary gallery. Clare’s career combines experience of the arts and commercial sectors. She was previously a Trustee of the Museum of the Home, Director of Communications at the National Gallery, and New Media Director at National Gallery Co. Ltd, before setting up an arts consultancy working with the V&A and other institutions.