1 THE ARTISTIC AND ARCHITECTURAL PATRONAGE OF ANGELA BURDETT COUTTS 2 VOLUMES VOLUME 1 Susan S. Lewis Thesis presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Royal Holloway, University of London, January 2012 2 I declare that the work presented in this thesis is my own: Susan Lewis……………………………… 3 ABSTRACT This thesis focuses on the life and artistic patronage of the Victorian philanthropist, Angela Burdett Coutts. As the daughter of both an aristocrat and a member of the nouveau riche Burdett Coutts was a product of both the new and old world of Victorian society and this thesis seeks to explore the ways in which Burdett Coutts fashioned an identity for herself through her patronage of art and architecture. It explores the ways in which taste, gender and class are reflected in Burdett Coutts’s collecting practice and examines her role as a patron through three case studies; as a collector of paintings, as a philanthropist and as a patron of architecture. Chapter One of the thesis examines Burdett Coutts’s collecting practice in relation to recent work on the cultures of collecting and the fashioning of identities with particular reference to aristocratic Victorian society. It contrasts Burdett Coutts with other notable female collectors of the period, and considers acquisition and display in relation to ideas of class identity. It also examines Burdett Coutts as ‘other’ within male dominated collecting practice and also examines the contrasting sites of acquisition, including auction, private sale and art dealer. Chapter Two looks at Burdett Coutts as patron and collector of art and Chapter Three uses biographical data to examine Burdett Coutts’s role as heiress and philanthropist in the fashioning of class identity. Chapter Four examines Burdett Coutts as a patron of architectural projects and considers the construction of St Stephens Church, Westminster and her contrasting domestic architectural projects in social housing and housing on her private estate. It concludes with her ambitious public architectural scheme at Columbia Market. 4 CONTENTS Acknowledgements. List of illustrations. Introduction. Chapter 1: Angela Burdett Coutts: Taste, Gender, and Class, p. 23. Chapter 2: Angela Burdett Coutts: Art Patron and Collector, p. 56. Collecting Practice. Collector of Old Masters Portraiture Patron Copyright and Possession. Greyfriars Bobby Chapter 3: Angela Burdett Coutts: Heiress and Philanthropist, p. 137. Heiress Philanthropist Education and Class Control Chapter 4: Angela Burdett Coutts: Patron of Architecture, p. 197. St Stephen’s Church Colombia Square Holly Village Columbia Market Conclusion p. 278. Appendix 1 Pictures in the possession of Angela Burdett Coutts. Appendix II Pictures Given or Bequeathed to Angela Burdett Coutts. Appendix III Pictures purchased by Angela Burdett Coutts at the Samuel Rogers’ sale of 1856 with prices (where known). Appendix IV Pictures commissioned by Angela Burdett Coutts. with prices paid (where known). Appendix V Pictures Purchased Privately or at Exhibition by Angel Burdett Coutts, with date and price (where known). Appendix VI Pictures purchased directly from the Artist by Angela Burdett Coutts with date and price (where known). Appendix VII Pictures Bought at Auction. Bibliography. 5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to thank the many people who have provided help and information during the preparation of this thesis. In particular I wish to thank my supervisor, Dr Mary Cowling, for her patience, support, advice and encouragement over the years. The thesis benefited greatly from the access given to me by the Hon. William Burdett Coutts who allowed me to visit his home in Barnes, London to see the unpublished notes on the picture collection of Angela Burdett Coutts compiled by her secretary, Charles Osborne. This was an invaluable source of information on a subject for which comparatively little remains. Ms Tracey Earle, archivist at Coutts & Co, London gave access to the archive and helpful information on the correspondence of Thomas Coutts. The Earl of Harrowby kindly gave me access to the Harrowby archive at Sandon Hall, Staffordshire, and Michael Bosson, the manager of Sandon Hall, provided archive assistance and information in biographical matters relating to the family. Ms Christine Wagg of the Peabody Trust was happy to exchange biographical information, on which there is strangely little, on Henry Darbishire, provide sources for additional research and send me a substantial amount of literature on the first Peabody Estates. Special thanks must also go to Helen Smailes, Senior Curator of British Art at the National Gallery of Scotland for encouragement and very useful information on the life and work of Thomas Faed. Thanks to her I also received assistance and information from Paul McAuliffe, Assistant Keeper of Conservation for Edinburgh City Museum and Art Galleries, in the form of extracts from the Edinburgh City Council Minute Book, newspaper cuttings etc,. particularly in relation to Greyfriar’s Bobby. Ian MacCiver of the Manuscripts Division of the National Library of Scotland also provided extremely useful extracts from the Brodie Papers in Edinburgh City Archives. Similarly Dr Christiana Payne of Oxford Brookes University sent me useful information and advice on the work of James Collinson. 6 Dr Erin Blake of the Folger Shakespeare Library, Washington kindly provided me with information on the Shakespearean portraits and pictures formerly in the Burdett Coutts collection; John Richard, F.S.A, kindly gave me information on the pictures attributed to Holbein which had belonged to Burdett Coutts and David Mannings of King’s College, University of Aberdeen, answered my queries relating to paintings attributed to Reynolds in the collection. Mark Bills was most helpful regarding the work of Edwin Long and Simon Stokes clarified the law relating to copyright. The Rev. Phillip Walsh, vicar of St. Stephen’s Church, kindly provided information on the interior of St. Stephen’s Church, Westminster. My thanks also to the previous incumbent at St Stephens, the Rev. Ralph Godsall; Patrick Crawford, Church Architect at Caroe & Partners; Paul Barlow, the Keeper of Fine Art, Royal Pavilion Library and Museum, Brighton; Leslie Carlyle; Dr. Richard Dennis of University College, London; the late Lady Edna Healey and Ms A. Martinez-Guitarrez of the Archive Department at Christies’ Auction House, all of whom kindly answered queries or provided information for me. I would also like to thank the staff of the following archives and libraries who provided me with assistance during my visits and research at their institutions: The British Library; Lambeth Palace Library; the City and Metropolitan Archive, Clerkenwell; The Church Building Council, Westminster; Hove Public Library, East Sussex; the London Borough of Camden Local History Library and Archive, staff here were particularly helpful with information relating to census returns for Holly Village and the Art Students Home in Brunswick Square; The Heinz Archive, National Portrait Gallery, London; the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum; the Paul Mellon Centre, Bloomsbury; the Royal Institute of British Architects, London; the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, London; the Witt Library, the Courtauld Institute; the Public Record Office, London; the Watts Gallery, Compton, Surrey; Westminster City Library, West Sussex County Record Office, Chichester and finally to Worthing Library, West Sussex whose staff patiently and good naturedly extracted obscure publications from their reserve collection. Finally, I would like to thank my husband, Mark, for his considerable patience and help (especially with computer problems) over the years, and latterly my children, Nicholas and Simon, for their tolerance. 7 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 1 Thomas Coutts by William Beechey, c. 1815. 2 Harriot Mellon as Volante, after William Beechey. 3. Holly Lodge, from a watercolour by Alfred J. Warne-Browne. 4. Interiors of Holly Lodge, from watercolours by Alfred J. Warne Browne. 5. 1 Stratton Street/78 Piccadilly, contemporary illustration. 6. William Pitt, by John Hoppner, c. 1804-1805. 7. Sir Walter Scott by Henry Raeburn, 1822. 8. Sophia Coutts, Lady Burdett , by Thomas Lawrence, 1793. 9. Sir Francis Burdett, by Thomas Lawrence, 1793. 10. A Private View at the Royal Academy, 1881 by W. P. Frith, 1883. 11. At a Picture Sale, Punch, 1885. 12. The Agony in the Garden, by Raphael c. 1504-1505. 13. Cupid & Psyche, by Joshua Reynolds, before 1788. 14. The Mob Cap, by Joshua Reynolds, date unknown. 15. Girl Sketching by Joshua Reynolds, c. 1780-1782. 16. Madonna of the Sparrow, by Guercino, 1615. 17. Portrait of a Gentleman by Thomas Gainsborough, date unknown. 18. Duc D’Anjou and His Governess by Nicolas De Largilliere now Duchesse de Ventador and t he Duc de Bretagne by Francois de Troy c. 1710. 19. Ariel by Henry Fuseli, c. 1800-1810. 20. Puck by Moses Haughton, after Henry Fuseli, c. 1810-20. 21. Queen Mab by Henry Fuseli, 1815-1820. 22. Milton Being taught to Read by His Mother by Henry Fuseli, 1790-1795. 23. Mrs Otway Cave by Henry Fuseli, 1820-1825. 24. Falstaff in the Laundry Basket by Henry Fuseli, 1792. 25. Mrs Page, The Merry Wives of Windsor by Henry Fuseli, c. 1790-1795. 26. Eurphrosyne by Henry Fuseli, c. 1799-1800. 27. Dr John Armstrong by Joshua Reynolds, 1767. 28. John ‘Fyshe‘ Crauford by Joshua Reynolds, 1789. 8 29. James Coutts by Sir Joshua Reynolds. 30. Three Children of Thomas Coutts, (The Three Graces) by Angelica Kauffman, 1791. 31. Mrs Coutts (later Duchess of St Albans) by William Beechey, c. 1815. 32. Lord Byron by Richard Westall, 1813. 33. Oliver Cromwell by Robert Walker, c. 1649. 34. Admiral Horatio Nelson by Lemuel F. Abbott. 35. Duke of Wellington & Lady Douro by C. R. Leslie, 1854 36. Duke of Wellington & His Grandchildren by Robert Thorburn, 1853. 37. Sir Francis Burdett by Thomas Phillips, 1834. 38. Sir Francis Burdett aged about 70, by W. C. Ross, c. 1840 39. Angela Burdett Coutts by W. C. Ross, c. 1847. 40.