Detail of the interior of the Octagon at Orleans House , photograph Maxwell Hamilton
Details
Marble Hill, an idyllic Palladian villa on the banks of the River Thames in Twickenham, was built for Henrietta Howard, mistress of George II, as a retreat from Court life and a place to entertain her close circle of artistic and literary friends. The magnificent Octagon Room at Orleans House of c1720 was designed by James Gibbs forJames Johnston, politician and courtier.
Venue
Marble Hill, Richmond Road, Twickenham, TW1 2NL
Event Organisers
Sarah Bowles and Philippa Barton
Cost
Cost of the visit is £98 - plus Eventbrite booking fee
Programme
10.50am
Meet at Marble Hill
11.00am
Visit to Marble Hill with Ricky Pound, Historian
The charming villa at Marble Hill was built from 1724-29 by Roger Morris to a design of the 9th Earl of Pembroke. The splendid Great Room on the first floor, reached by the fine mahogany staircase, has been reunited with the set of 'Five Roman landscapes' by Giovanni Paolo Panini dated 1738 together with one of the origianl peacock side tables. The other interiors have been exquisitely restored and furnished to evoke early Georgian taste.
The gardens were developed from 1724 with a group of friends, including Alexander Pope, a near neighbour, on hand to advise. They are now being reinstated following extensive research.
1.00pm
Lunch
2.15pm - 3.45pm
Visit to the Octagon Room at Orleans House with Ricky Pound
James Johnston, politician and courtier, purchased a riverside site in Twickenham in 1702 and commissioned John James to build a house which was completed in 1710. Perhaps inspired by his friendship with George I, he commissioned James Gibbs in 1716 to create a lavish octagonal saloon set away from the house in order to entertain on a grand scale. The Octagon was completed in 1720 and its spectacular interior has plasterwork by Bagutti and Artari, the celebrated Italian stuccatori.