Contextualizing Wilton. Display and Meaning in Earl of Pembroke’s Stately Home, 1731-1795

One of the most renowned art collections of the 18th century was that belonging to the Earls of Pembroke. Displayed at Wilton House in Wiltshire, the Pembroke collection consisted of antiquities and modern sculpture, paintings, drawings, and prints. The collection was mainly assembled by Thomas Herbert, 8th Earl of Pembroke and was preserved, expanded, and publicized by his descendants. The various catalogue editions published during the 18th century make it possible to reveal the arrangement of the artworks in the house and their mutability through the years. The changes allowed the owners to create different associations and re-interpretations. Objects could play a major role in the construction of the collectors’ identity and family tradition, and/or possibly create themes and narratives to illustrate art history. Last but not least, while fashions (in collecting) had a strong impact during the process of acquisition, the collector’s taste could be critical in the placement of the collected items. The aim of this lecture is to shed light on how the display of objects in certain rooms of Wilton House can provide interpretations based on their location and the works surrounding them. Furthermore, the ways in which the display connected with the norms and ideas about the habitant’s gender and family history will be investigated.  Lastly, the question as to whether the Pembroke collection provided a narration of art-history during the 18th century will be addressed. To achieve these goals, the main focus of this research is on the series of catalogue descriptions published from 1730 to c.1795, although other primary sources were also examined.

Anastasia Michopoulou holds a Master’s degree in History of Art, University of Crete (Greece). She primarily studied Philosophy, Psychology, and Pedagogy at the University of Athens. She participated in research projects such as “RICONTRANS: Visual Culture, Piety and Propaganda” and “VAST: Values Across Space and Time”. She attended seminars in Warburg Institute, Harvard University, and other foundations and translated art-historical texts which were published in the Greek journal Istoria tēs Technēs/ History of Art. She participated in conferences organized by the Association of Greek Art Historians (ΕΕΙΤ) and by HECAA of which she is a member. She is currently working as an instructor of Art History and Greek History in post-secondary education. She has published a book of poetry entitled saturnia (σατούρνια, Smili Publications, 2023).

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Bookings for this session will close 24 hours in advance with the meeting link being distributed by seminar convenors the morning of the seminar.