Celebrating Chippendale’s Tercentenary
EVENTS > STUDY TRIPS ABROAD
DECORATIVE ARTS TRUST STUDY TRIP ABROAD
April 4-11, 2018
Synthesizing the highlights of two recent Study Trips Abroad, the Decorative Arts Trust added a third international tour to the 2018 calendar in order to offer a proper celebration of Thomas Chippendale’s 300th birthday. Organized by Brock Jobe, Trust Governor and Professor Emeritus of Decorative Arts at Winterthur Museum, with the assistance of leading British furniture historians and Chippendale scholars Adam Bowett, James Lomax, and David Jones, the program focuses on the seven most important collections of documented Chippendale furniture in Yorkshire and Scotland as well as a special exhibition planned in conjunction with the great cabinetmaker’s 300th. Participants are to enjoy unparalleled access to these extraordinary collections and sites during what is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
ITINERARY (subject to amendment)
Wednesday, April 4
Gathering at the elegant Principal Hotel in York, we begin with a mid-afternoon lecture and walking tour of the city led by Peter Brown, former director of the York Civic Trust, focusing on the city’s 18th-century architecture, including a visit to the site of the workshop of Richard Wood, the cabinetmaker under whom Thomas Chippendale likely served as a journeyman at the start of his career. The excursion concludes with a special all-access exploration of Fairfax House with director Hannah Phillip. This stunning Georgian townhouse features a splendid collection of Chippendale-era furnishings. Our opening dinner is hosted at the recently restored Mansion House, home to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor of York since 1732.
D included
Overnight: YORK
Thursday, April 5
The day opens with an outing to Chippendale’s birthplace, the market town of Otley, to visit the parish church and pay homage to a statue of the cabinetmaker prominently placed outside of Prince Henry’s Grammar School. We continue to Temple Newsam, a magnificent Tudor-Jacobean mansion dating to the early 17th century and the headquarters of the Chippendale Society. The afternoon concludes with a tour of the special exhibition celebrating Thomas Chippendale’s tercentenary curated by Adam Bowett and James Lomax. A celebratory dinner follows on site at the Leeds Art Gallery.
B, L, D included
Overnight: YORK
Friday, April 6
While Burton Constable Hall’s exterior maintains its 1560s appearance, architect Timothy Lightoler completely remodeled the interior in the 1760s for William Constable, who commissioned a suite of furniture and mirrors from Thomas Chippendale that survives in situ in the Great Drawing Room. We include a lunch-time visit to the privately owned Scampston Hall, a beautiful Regency house set within a Capability Brown landscape park. The collection includes many fine examples of 18th and early-19th-century furnishings, including a recently documented suite of Chippendale seating furniture, as well as artwork by Romney, Lely and Kneller. Our day concludes at Birdsall¸ a grand 18th-century house remaining in family hands, for a viewing of the extensive collection of decorative and fine arts, including work by Chippendale, Romney, Batoni, and Reynolds. We toast an ambitious day with cocktails in the company of our hosts before returning to our lodgings.
B, L, R included
Overnight: YORK
Saturday, April 7
Edwin Lascelles spared little expense when building and furnishing the stately Harewood House, relying on York-based architect John Carr, as well as Robert Adam, Chippendale, and Brown to create one of Britain’s most refined country houses. Our private visit includes the opportunity to view drawings and manuscripts related to Chippendale’s work for Lascelles. We transition to the privately owned Newby Hall following lunch. Originally built in 1697, the house was renovated and enlarged in the 1760s with a splendid domed sculpture gallery and elegant tapestry room designed by Adam with furniture commissioned from Chippendale.
B, L, D included
Overnight: YORK
Sunday, April 8
The final highlight of the Yorkshire portion of our study is a comprehensive exploration of Nostell Priory, an epitome of Georgian elegance built for the Winn family by designs from Paine and Adam, interiors enhanced by Chippendale and plaster sculptor Joseph Rose, as well as some of the earliest painted decoration by Antonio Zucchi. The quantity and variety of the Chippendale furnishings are a sight to behold. Returning to York mid-afternoon, participants enjoy free time to take in some the city’s numerous sites of historic and architectural interest.
B, L included
Overnight: YORK
Monday, April 9
Our Chippendale excursion transitions from Yorkshire to Scotland, where two of his greatest commissions survive intact. Our penultimate stop is Paxton House in Berwick-upon-Tweed in the Scottish Borders for a visit accompanied by heralded Scottish furniture historian David Jones and Curator Fiona Salvesen Murrell. The Home family commissioned Chippendale to furnish the house “in a neat but not expensive manner” between 1774 and 1791. Most of Chippendale’s wares survive, supplemented by the work of Thomas Chippendale Jr. following his father’s death and complemented by extensive documentation in the house’s archives. We continue to Glasgow following the tour, destined for excellent accommodations at the Blythswood Square Hotel.
B, L included
Overnight: GLASGOW
Tuesday, April 10
Our final expedition is to the stunning Dumfries House for an extensive exploration with David Jones and former curator Charlotte Rostek. This 5-part villa represents a collaboration by the Adam brothers Robert, John, and James, and was preserved through the efforts of Prince Charles. Documented suites of furnishings by Thomas Chippendale and the Edinburgh cabinetmaker Alexander Peter highlight the beautiful interiors. We celebrate an extraordinary review of Chippendale’s remarkable career with a farewell dinner at the Pollock House, a grand Georgian country house south of Scotland’s second city.
B, L, D included
Overnight: GLASGOW
Wednesday, April 11
Departures from the Glasgow airport.
B included
Terms and Conditions
Land Arrangement Cost:
$5,850 per person, based on double occupancy for 7 nights. A reduced rate is available for conservators and curators working at nonprofit organizations. Please inquire at 610.627.4970.
Airfare:
Transatlantic airfare is not included. Please do not make your airline reservations until you have received written confirmation of your registration from the Trust.
Reservations:
A deposit of $1,500 per person is required by August 1, 2017. Reservations and deposits are taken on an “as received” basis. You will receive a written confirmation from the Decorative Arts Trust. Do not make any irrevocable airline reservations until you receive your verification. Please make checks payable to “The Decorative Arts Trust” and mail to: 20 South Olive Street, Suite 204, Media, PA 19063.
Single Supplement:
The single supplement is $950.
Final Payment:
Will be due by January 31, 2018. Invoices for final payment will be mailed in early January.
Membership:
Membership at the Sponsor level is required for participation in Study Trips Abroad. Your membership contribution is fully tax deductible. If an increase in your membership level is necessary, the Trust will invoice you for the appropriate level upgrade with your final payment.
Contribution:
A donation to the Decorative Arts Trust of $500 per person is required for Study Trips Abroad. This gift is fully tax deductible and will fund the participation of two scholarship recipients in the program drawn from graduate student and young professional applicants who are studying 18th-century furniture and decorative arts.
Itinerary:
The schedule outlined in this itinerary is contracted for at this time but subject to change as necessary. A suggested reading list will be sent to you.
Participation:
This Study Trip Abroad is limited to a maximum of 20 members and requires a minimum of 10. The trip will be canceled if under-subscribed, and deposits will be refunded. We will organize and maintain a waiting list on the basis of the time registrations are received. This is a strenuous trip. We regret that we cannot be responsible for those needing assistance on this trip. By registering, you are certifying that you do not have any mental, physical, or other condition of disability that would create a hazard for yourself or other passengers. The Trust reserves the right to decline anyone as a participant in this Study Trip Abroad should the person’s health, actions, or general deportment impede the operation of the Study Trip Abroad; the rights, welfare, or enjoyment of others; or the standing of the Decorative Arts Trust. A valid United States passport is required for this itinerary.
Included in Trip Cost:
Hotel accommodations in 4-star hotels, 7 buffet breakfasts, 6 lunches, 4 dinners, 1 cocktail reception, private coach transportation, local guides, admission in museums, historic houses, and gardens, gratuities for professional guides and coach drivers, and porterage for one suitcase.
Not Included in the Trip Cost:
Airfare, airport transfers other than specified above, alcoholic beverages other than when provided, personal expenses, and trip insurance are not included.
Cancellation and Refund:
If you must cancel your reservation, you are urged to do so as soon as possible in writing to the Decorative Arts Trust. All cancellations are subject to a $250 administrative fee. Deposits are non-refundable after August 1, 2017. Cancellations arriving by February 17, 2018, will receive a 50% refund. Cancellations arriving by March 4, 2018, will receive a 25% refund. There will be no refunds for cancellations received after March 4, 2018. THE TRUST STRONGLY ENCOURAGES ALL PARTICIPANTS TO PURCHASE TRAVEL INSURANCE TO PROTECT AGAINST CANCELLATIONS DUE TO ILLNESS AND INJURY.