Kenwood House and John Singer Sargent

GUIDED INTRODUCTION TO KENWOOD HOUSE AND SPECIAL EXHIBITION OF SARGENT PORTRAITS

Experience the power and glamour of John Singer Sargent’s portraits in Kenwood's current exhibition: Heiress: Sargent’s American Portraits.

This show reveals the real stories behind the fascinating American women who crossed the Atlantic to marry British aristocrats in an alliance of money and titles. These women include a war-time nurse, the first sitting female MP and the first female Vice-Chair of the London County Council.

Sargent was one of the most sought-after artists of the Gilded Age and was the artist to depict these remarkable women. On the centenary of his death, the exhibition is a salute to American ex pat. Sargent (1856-1925), the most admired and sought-after portraitist of the Gilded Age on both sides of the Atlantic. These portraits represent some of his most glamorous and powerful works. In addition to full-length oil paintings, masterful charcoal portraits also feature, depicting their subjects in a candid and perceptive light.

After an introduction to the soon-to-end exhibition, we'll have an introduction to Kenwood's permanent collections (principally the Iveagh Bequest and the Suffolk Collection), the Adam architecture, and some of the historic residents including the 1st Earl of Mansfield, and Dido Elizabeth Bell. We'll hear how Kenwood was saved for the public just over a century ago and the opportunities and challenges faced today.

Our 2.5 hour guided tour will be led by Mark King. He is a London Historians member, a Trustee of the Friends of Kenwood House, a long-term volunteer room explainer supporting English Heritage, and works as a Blue Badge tourist guide. He is also the author of 'The Blue Badge Guide's London Quiz Book.'

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There are refreshment facilities and paid car parking on site. Additional free car parking on the surrounding streets. Public transport - 210 or 310 buses connect from the nearest Tube stations at Archway and Golders Green (Northern line), 20 minute walk uphill across the heath from Hampstead Heath station on the Mildmay line.

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This event is exclusive to London Historians Members. .

Host or Publisher London Historians