A family of collectors

London, England Every collector collects differently. At John Soane’s house, things seemed to be placed where there happened to be a bit of space.

Not so at the Wallace Collection, which I visited today. It is a national museum housing masterpieces of painting, sculpture, furniture, arms and armour, and porcelain.

Built over the 18th and 19th centuries by the Marquesses of Hertford and Sir Richard Wallace, it is one of the finest and most celebrated art collections in the world. It was given to the British Nation in 1897 by Lady Wallace, so that it could be kept together and enjoyed by generations of visitors.

I don’t know what’s in the attic or the basement, but what is displayed here would delight any major museum. The rooms themselves are pristine and furnished thematically with priceless artifacts.

There is an enormous collection of arms and armour – complete with mounted horses.

The real action is on the upstairs level of this beautiful building. Art here is separated by country – French, Dutch, Italian, English. And what is shown is probably the best of its place and era.

There are three Rembrandts above, and here’s the Fragonard up close:

Everything is beautifully displayed and it’s amazing to see so many world-famous masterpieces up close. Not John Soane’s style, of course. Just look at how neatly every book is cataloged:

Lots of decorative and priceless objects, including a Caravaggio on loan. All was worthy of much more time than I dedicated.

My next destination was a restaurant that had caught my eye when doing my London to-do lists. That was Fischer’s, an Austrian restaurant that I just had to try. Yes, I tested the wiener schnitzel, which was adequate but not rising above a B. But I needed a fix!

There was one more place fairly nearby that was on my list – St. Pancras Station. I think it’s truly a gorgeous pile of bricks, but I had a destination inside.

There is a very controversial statue in the main hall, called “The Meeting Place,” inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth in 2007, and it seems to be quite disliked by those who rate such things. I can’t say that I’m a fan either, but I went to have a closer look at the frieze surrounding it.

It features images from the history of the Tube and train, including: people queuing on platforms or travelling in carriages; soldiers departing for war and returning injured; and repair works following the July 2005 London bombings. I just find the details amazing and the transitions so interesting. Perhaps it hasn’t received the proper attention.

Well, I like it.