Cathy's Art Diary

Surprising exhibition at National Trust property Polesden Lacey of the treasures collected by Margaret Greville. I say surprising because I had not realised there was an exhibition at the house and had just gone to kill time before a party so this was a bonus. It was nicely arranged with an introduction to the collection and then rooms on different types of objects from pictures, though ceramics and ending with a lovely room of Faberge objects. Mrs Greville had been collecting in the late 19th and early 20th centuries both via auctions and through gifts from friends. It was nice that the labels not only told you about the object but also about where and how it was acquired. It was also a good opportunity to see the upstairs rooms which are normally closed to the public and I liked the way when you did then go downstairs it continued with sign posting to important objects in the main rooms. Closes 30 October 2022

Quirky decoration of National Trust property Polesden Lacey for Christmas. This year’s decorations, by contemporary artists NEON, take inspiration from the society hostess, Margaret Greville, who lived there. Using her jewellery collection, which is now part of the Royal Collection, they take elements of the jewels and create three installations within the house. The Trust then responded to these quirky displays with a more traditional approach in the next room. My favourite room, shown here, was the billiard room hung with diamond shaped frames which moved gently in a breeze casting different shadows around the room. I also liked the corridor to the servants quarters lined with white foliage and feather balls. Closed 6 January 2020