Two of the attic rooms in the north wing are now used to store a collection of prints, drawings, watercolours, books and various other artefacts accumulated over the years.
Over 3000 works on paper remain at the house, acquired by the Braybrooke Barons, the Neville family and other related families over 300 years. The recent project to re-house many of these items in conservation-grade storage boxes has now been completed and their future ensured.
The improved storage conditions have enabled better physical access, which we hope will be a springboard for increased scholarly engagement.
Our aspiration is to promote the prints and drawings collection as a valuable resource for further research into the collecting habits of aristocratic families, including their foreign travel, tastes and the fashions of different periods.
The collecting of unframed prints in the 18th and 19th centuries was a fashionable activity for the aristocracy and upper classes and demonstrated one’s classical leanings and knowledge of the fine arts. The collections were often displayed in purpose made cabinets and stands in libraries or other principal rooms. Having the latest available editions issued by, for instance Mr Hogarth, Mr Turner, Mr Constable, Mr Rowlandson, Mr Gilray and the many other English and Continental artists of the time was de rigueur during the 18th and 19th centuries.
Many of these artists were keen to exploit the production of prints from their paintings. A painting as a one off could only be sold once, whereas multiple prints could produce further income but also enhance one’s reputation. Some prints were directly commissioned and not based on a painting.
In the 18th century cabinets with large pull-out trays or drawers were used to store prints and provided convenient access for guests to inspect. In the 19th century folio stands were patented, with open access to the contents. (these were dust traps!)
As time went on and some of the houses were shut up, put to other uses or unfortunately demolished in many cases, the collections of prints often fell on hard times. They were sometimes stored in unsuitable conditions, moved to other properties where they were surplus to the core collections already there, or sold off in auctions particularly. They became ‘orphaned’ as their original homes no longer existed.
Provenance of any historic items is vitally important and this may vary from no information at all to fully catalogued, numbered and inventoried collections.
Any information such as folders or containers such as box files or sadly in many cases cardboard boxes (of various dates!) need to be photographed and have any information recorded.
The collections vary, with many portraits of direct and more remote family members, important personages, including from the monarchy, aristocracy, clergy and other prominent figures and celebrities of the time.
There are topographical views in England and Europe, copies of paintings after Dutch, French, German and Italian masters, caricatures and cartoons, sets of Hogarth images, sporting subjects, still lifes and many more.
The printed images earlier in the editions are visually attractive, with well-defined features and vivid contrasts between the darker and lighter areas. (As the copper plates became more worn the images became less clear.)
There are original watercolours by Robert Adam, some signed, of architectural features, furniture and interior decoration and garden structures. Some of these designs were executed, some rejected.
Many techniques are present, including aquatint, engraving (line, stipple) etching (drypoint, softground) lithograph, mezzotint, mixed method. They are principally printed in black ink, as was most common throughout the centuries. Colour printing began to become more common in the early 19th century and many prints were either hand-coloured shortly after their production or at a later date.
