Set in the heart of rural Northamptonshire,
Lyveden is a remarkable survivor of the Elizabethan age. It was the vision of
Sir Thomas Tresham but was never completed following his death in 1605. Religious persecution, treason and debt meant his dream was never realised; however, the unfinished lodge and surrounding gardens stand today as a poignant example of one man standing up for his beliefs in dangerous times, through an act of quiet and creative rebellion.
Tresham was a fervent Catholic, at a time when Queen Elizabeth I was anxious about the Catholic threat posed by Spain and by her cousin Mary Queen of Scots. Nonconformists were targets for perpetual persecution and Elizabeth imposed legal restrictions on the practise of Catholicism in England. During his time under house arrest and imprisonment, Tresham came up with the designs for Lyveden; a journey of discovery and a contemplative walk from his manor house hidden at the bottom of the hill up through an elaborately designed water garden to the garden lodge above. There are tranquil moats, viewing terraces and an Elizabethan orchard to explore, as well as the enigmatic garden lodge covered in religious symbols. The full extent of Sir Thomas's symbolic design remains unexplained to this day.
Elton Hall, romantic, part-Gothic historic house near Peterborough, is nestled in the beautiful countryside on the Cambridgeshire/Northamptonshire border, lying eight miles southwest of Peterborough. It stands proud in unspoilt landscaped parkland where a house has stood since the 12th century. The
house has been the home of the Proby family since 1660, although previous generations held land at Elton from the time of Elizabeth I. Elton Hall is enchanting and there is something romantic and magical about the building with its gothic south elevation set at a right angle to the classical, French inspired, entrance wing. Successive generations have embellished both the house and collection, which contains many Old Masters and fine examples of English portraiture by Reynolds, Gainsborough and Romney. Art enthusiasts can gaze upon works by Renaissance artists dating from the early 15th century, to marvellous 19th century works by J.F. Lewis, Landseer, Millais and Constable.
The
gardens as seen today are the work of Meredyth Proby, who spent the last forty years re-designing and re-planting them. They provide a stunning backdrop to the house and contain many unusual plants and shrubs. Prints on display in the house show how Sir Thomas Proby first laid out his garden in the 1670’s and how it developed during the 18th and 19th century. The present gardens are based on a design made in 1911 by A.H. Hallam Murray, father-in-law to Sir Richard Proby (d.1979). They were originally designed for fourteen gardeners and included the large Walled Garden which is now a Plant Centre. When Sir William & Lady Proby lived at the Hall from 1980 – 2021 the gardens had to be greatly reduced and restored. Although the garden is smaller, the new extensive hedging and topiary have created different areas and structure throughout the year which provide a perfect backdrop for the more intensive planting.
Orchard Side house in Olney was, from 1768 to 1786, the home of
William Cowper, renowned 18th century poet and translator of Homer. It is now the
Cowper & Newton Museum.
Cowper's most famous works include his 5000-line poem ‘The Task’ and some charming and light-hearted verses, not least ‘The Diverting History of John Gilpin’. Phrases he coined such as ‘Variety is the spice of life’ are still in popular use today. While living in Olney he collaborated on ‘The Olney Hymns’ with his friend
John Newton. Many of their hymns are still sung today around the world: Glorious things of thee are spoken, Zion city of our God (Newton); God moves in a mysterious way (Cowper); How sweet the name of Jesus sounds (Newton); and O for a closer walk with God (Cowper). Cowper's poetry influenced many of the great poets that followed, such as Wordsworth, Coleridge and Tennyson. He was also popular with many of the later novelists such as
Jane Austen, who quotes him in four of her novels, and
the Brontë sisters.
Cowper was a passionate
gardener living at a time when seeds and plants were arriving from North America. From his letters and poems, many of which were written at Orchard Side, we know many of the plants he grew. He said of himself:‘Gardening was of all employments that in which I succeeded best.’ He even grew pineapples in the museum garden, having received from the gardener at Gayhurst House, ‘six fruiting pines’. He grew these on a hotbed of bark, covered by a ‘light’ or cold frame which he made himself. We do not know the layout of his original garden, other than he had ‘a gravel walk thirty yards long’. But we do know that he built himself a greenhouse to over-winter his evergreens, particularly the myrtles, of which he was particularly fond. In the summer months, he seems to have used it as a conservatory.
Rev John Newton lived in Olney for nearly 16 years (1764 to 1779) as curate-in-charge of the parish church, St Peter & St Paul. While he resided in Olney his writings became known worldwide. Newton was a frequent visitor at Orchard Side to see
Cowper and the two families socialised regularly. With the establishment in 1787 of the Society for Effecting the Abolition of the African Slave Trade, Newton threw his weight behind the
campaign. For the rest of his life he sought to give his support. Through the encouragement of Newton, Cowper also became involved in the work of The Committee for the Abolition of the Slave Trade, writing four poems in support of their cause. One of these poems became an anti-slavery ballad, becoming popular in both monied households and with those who could not read or write as they could more easily learn the words when set to music.
Leicester Museum & Art Gallery includes the Victorian Art Gallery,
Arts & Crafts Gallery, Picasso Ceramics: The Attenborough Collection and Leicester's internationally renowned
German Expressionism collection.
Dr Jill Lloyd writes that: "Leicester City’s collection of German Expressionist Art plays a unique role in promoting the worldwide understanding of German Expressionism. Not only does it feature outstanding individual examples of German Expressionist art; it also includes an impressive range of artworks, in particular works on paper, which illuminate the history, background and development of the Expressionist movement.
Although certain artists (such as August Macke) and certain representative works, which are present in the most important international collections of German Expressionism (particularly in Germany and the United States), are missing from the Leicester collection, this weakness is compensated for by the inclusion of émigré artists and women artists whose works are difficult to find elsewhere. The so-called ‘lost generation’ of German and Austrian émigré artists - including Martin Bloch, Marie-Louise von Motesiczky, Ernst Neuschul and Margarete Klopfleisch - is particularly well represented in Leicester by works in the permanent collection and important loans that contribute to the collection’s unique character. Moreover, although there are several museums in the United States (listed in section B) that have benefited from donations by German émigré collectors, Leicester is the only museum in the United Kingdom that has such deep historical links with major émigré collectors of German Expressionism, such as Albert, Tekla and Hans Hess, and Dr Rosa Schapire. From an international perspective, Leicester’s collection of German Expressionist art tells the story of émigré culture in the United Kingdom in a unique fashion, playing a vital role in our understanding of the reception and dissemination of the Expressionist movement, and preserving many works for posterity that might otherwise have fallen victim to the violent upheavals of twentieth-century history."
A unique display in the Collection is of fragments from the
Thou Shalt Not Kill! tryptich by Johannes Matthaeus Koelz. Between 1930-37 Koelz painted a monumental artwork – a triptych, or three-panel painting. He had painted the work in semi-secrecy at his cottage home and studio in a village near Munich. His activities were known only to trusted friends and family. The giant triptych, now considered Koelz’s unfinished masterpiece had followed the design of earlier medieval altarpieces, religious works depicting Christ, either crucified or enthroned, flanked by saints on the side panels. Koelz updated this concept however, creating a devastating anti-war work, which, instead of Christ, showed a crucified dead German soldier wearing a gas-mask. The slaughter Koelz had experienced first-hand in the trenches of the First World War had turned him against war for life. In 1937 Koelz and his young family were forced to flee Germany, when he faced arrest on a charge of ‘pacifist propaganda’. Just before fleeing with his family, Koelz cut his masterpiece into several pieces, which were then secretly hidden for decades. Koelz and his family reached England in 1939. The artist’s daughter Ava Farrington began searching for the missing fragments after her father died in 1971 and has tracked down six, four of which she presented to the City Museums Service in 1998. These fragments now form part of Leicester’s collection of early 20th century German art.
Punk: Rage and Revolution is the main current
exhibition at the Museum. The exhibition tells the story of rebellion, creative energy and the political landscape of 1970s UK Punk. The exhibition focuses on 1977, a key year. Influences, original objects, fashion, music, art and more brings the Punk ideology, attitude, DIY ethos and legacy to life in an exciting, immersive experience. The exhibition has been co-curated with young people from Soft Touch Arts, contributing ideas and creative work reflecting what Punk means today. Local punks, alongside Leicester creatives, offer new perspectives on this influential youth subculture.
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