Ricky Pound
@whitegoldsword1708
Interested in Jacobites and the 17th and 18th centuries- art, architecture, material culture, symbolism, JMW Turner, John Soane and ceramics. Historic House Manager.
This month I managed 236. Kilometres running. That equates to 146 miles or 1 and a 1/3rd marathons a week. This is my best month ever for running and feel great for it! :-)
Here I am in action at Alexander Pope’s Grotto. I appear to be pointing out either Bounce the dog or Pope’s famous weeping willow tree.
Latest Charity Shop bargain purchase! The Triumphal Arch by Peter Howell.
Looking forward to guiding a group around Alexander Pope’s grotto today in Twickenham. We are then going to St Mary’s Church where Pope and his mother are laid to rest. After lunch we are treated to a guided tour of Henrietta Howard’s Marble Hill House and grotto. And such a lovely day for it!
For £30 I picked up this ‘Grand Tour’ sphinx. The detailing and patina from many years of handling is great. The soft, slightly Neoclassical treatment of the facial features paired with the stylised Egyptian headdress aligns with the French Second Empire / late Victorian aesthetic, circa 1860–1880.
Detail of a drawing by William Kent of the garden at Alexander Pope’s riverside villa showing his Great Dane called Bounce, Kent with his paintbrushes and painter’s palette, and Alexander Pope with a walking stick. Bounce would have been used to protect his owner, Pope being only 4’6 inches tall.
The plinth at on which the plaster cast figure of the Apollo Belvedere once stood. The lyre and snake are symbols of the sun god Apollo. The figure & base were once at Chiswick House, probably positioned on the Upper Link to greet visitors as they came into the villa from the old Jacobean House
Five late 18th/ early 19th century Spode pearlware plates, four of which are transfer printed in early willow pattern, a western invention based on similar patterns on Chinese Qianlong period porcelain. On the reverse are maker’s marks one / or two //blue slashes.
I’m looking forward to taking a group of volunteers and staff from the Sir John Soane’s Museum around Alexander Pope’s grotto tomorrow. I will then guide them along the river to Orleans House Gallery pausing to quickly take in several of the local historic sites.
Good 16 km run today in and around the Richmond/ Twickenham area before it got too hot
The theatrical splender of sunlight in the Domed area at Sir John Soane’s Museum. @soanemuseum.bsky.social
Two great books on esoteric influences on the court of the Stuarts.
This is how the central ceiling painting at Chiswick House should be explained.
A good 11 kilometres run this morning before it’s got too warm. I am hopeful that I will reach my target of 150 km this month as long as I don’t take on any injury.
Some sample slides from my PowerPoint presentation for my 3rd September online talk for the London Luminaries. ‘Henrietta Howard’s Mythology – Classical Symbolism and Allusion in the Decoration of Marble Hill House and Garden’ Free tickets can be booked here- londonluminaries.com/talk/henriet...
BARGAIN of the month at Foyles bookshop. In the bargain bucket and reduced from £45.00 to just £7.00! Douglas Fordham, ‘Aquatint Worlds- Travel, Print and Empire’
The most common question I seem to get asked when volunteering at Sir John Soane’s Museum is “what is the purpose of that spiky thing (teasel) on that furniture….” :-) This is also followed by the comment “people must have been shorter then” when viewing the two coal burning cooking ranges.
Looking forward to reading this, particularly as much of it takes place in and around Alexander Pope’s famous Villa in Twickenham. Swift-Gay-Pope
Light inside the Sir John Soane’s Musem within one morning. The museum is literally transformed through natural illumination.
A lovely George III tea caddy. In remarkable good condition seeing as it’s over 200 years old. Original key, linings and mixing bowl. Circa 1790-1810.
Some images from the talk that I gave a couple of weeks ago in the Great Room at Marble Hill House. The subject was ‘Henrietta Howard and the Collecting of Chinese Porcelain in the Early Eighteenth Century’. Great reaction from the sell-out audience!
A pair of Swatow ware plates, both painted with Phoenix birds. Wanli period, Ming Dynasty, circa 1575-1620 (R. Pound Collection)
Lovely couple of days in Winchester. We packed in the cathedral, King Arthur’s Round Table in the Great Hall at Winchester Castle, lovely walks, and a visit to the ruins of Wolvesey Castle. Lovely weather, food and company with my lovely wife x
Want list….. Two Meissen saucers with harbour and landscape scenes, Meissen octagonal cup with harbour scene in puce, a Meissen yellow ground beaker with harbour scene, a Meissen Tischenmuster decorated chocolate or coffee beaker & saucer, & a Meissen teabowl with harbour scenes, all circa 1735.