THE CONNOISSEUR’S CABINET & THE COLLECTOR’S TOWNHOUSE

The opening of this fascinating show coincides with the launch of a new publication by The WR Johnston Trust, A THING APART: Portrait Miniatures from the WR Johnston Collection by Roger and Carmela Arturi Phillips.

What drives the formation of a private collection? Is this different to the approach of an antique dealer? And how do they each differ from a Museum Curator developing a collection?

Meet the irascible yet charming William Johnston Esq., the unforgettable antique dealer and collector of 18th and early 19th century furniture, ceramics, paintings and decorative arts. As you tour his home Fairhall you will get to know the man through his collection and along the way develop your own “eye” through the revelation of his extraordinary collection.

To keep it alive Mr Johnston wanted his collection constantly added to. But how does this happen?  See a selection of recently acquired objects and examine the curatorial rationale behind their acquisition.

At the climax of the tour, in the Kent Room, anticipation mounts as the key turns in the Connoisseur’s Cabinet. There, portrait miniatures illustrated in The WR Johnston Trust’s new publication are revealed: alongside miniatures by the same artists from the internationally celebrated Arturi Phillips Collection. You’ll learn the criteria Roger and Carmela apply as private collectors, and as Portrait Miniature Advisors to The WR Johnston Trust.

An enthralling tour around William Johnston’s residence and an absorbing analysis of the collectors’ ambitions.