Broadlands

Broadlands.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Broadlands is a handsome house in Hampshire near Romsey that is best known as the residence of the late Earl and Countess Mountbatten of Burma.  But it also earned a footnote as the early destination of two royal honeymoons:  Princess Elizabeth and Prince Philip in 1947, and the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981.  However, Devoted Readers will know it as once the location of a particularly lovely set of panels painted by Rex Whistler;  the previous post of The Devoted Classicist about these panels may be read here.


Broadlands, Hampshire.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Before the Dissolution of the Monasteries by Henry VIII, the original manor belonged to Romsey Abbey, pre-dating the Norman Conquest of the 11th century.  In 1547, Broadlands was sold to Sir Francis Fleming whose daughter married into the St. Barbe family, who lived on the manor for the next 117 years.  Henry Temple, 1st Viscount Palmerston, bought Broadlands in 1736 and started, with the advice of William Kent, to deformalize the gardens from the house to the river.  Kent changed the course of the river Test to sweep towards the house and created a slight slope down to the river, the broad-lands. Lancelot "Capability" Brown, the famed architect and landscape designer, was brought in to refine the transformation in 1767, and his vision of making the Tudor and Jacobean manor house into a symmetrical, creamy brick Palladian mansion was completed by architect Henry Holland.


The river Test with farmlands beyond.
The first settlements in this valley date from
the fifth century when Saxons sailed up the river.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Edwina Mountbatten (who was briefly profiled in the earlier post for commissioning the Whistler decoration) inherited Broadlands in 1939, during World War II, and the house was adapted for use as a hospital.  After returning from India where Lord Louis Mountbatten was the last viceroy, then governor general, the house was refurbished.  The twenty-seven room Victorian "bachelor wing" was pulled down and the Georgian architecture and décor was highlighted.  Entertaining resumed with lavish weekend house parties attended by high-society guests, much like the grand style of the 1930s, with only small concessions to a reduction of staff.  The Mountbattens had two daughters, Patricia and Pamela, who married famed decorator David Hicks.  (Patricia and Pamela, by the way, are first cousins to the husband of Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh).

Lord Louis Mountbatten, 79, was assassinated in 1979 when the Irish Republican Army blew up his boat in Donegal Bay, Ireland.  Also killed were a young boatsman, Mountbatten's 14 year old grandson Nicholas and the boy's grandmother, Dowager Lady Brabourne.  Patricia Mountbatten Knatchbull succeeded as The Countess Mountbatten of Burma, and her son who inherited Broadlands, was known with his wife as Lord and Lady Romsey, a courtesy title;  after the 2005 death of Patricia's husband, the Romseys took the subsidiary title of Lord and Lady Brabourne.


The Romseys at Broadlands, circa 1983.
Photo via Daily Mail.

David Hicks was glad to be asked to help with the house's decoration when it was inherited by his wife's nephew.  In an April, 1983, article in Architectural Digest, Hicks says, "I've been longing to get my hands on those rooms for twenty-two years."  These photos show the Hicks arrangements of the rooms at that time.  "Pale colors," Hicks said, "are what Lady Romsey wanted, and what better for a pretty blonde in an eighteenth-century house?"

The ornamented plaster paneling in the Saloon by Joseph Rose dates from 1767, during Lord Palmerston's residency.  Adamesque gilt sofas and chairs of the same period are grouped around the fireplace and an Aubusson rug on strips of neutral velvet-pile carpeting sized to the room.  Bookcases now house Lord Mountbatten's collection of Sevres and Meissen that had been arranged by his brother-in-law, King Gustav of Sweden, a porcelain expert.


The Drawing Room at Broadlands, circa 1983.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Palmerston family portraits flank the fireplace in the Drawing Room.  Note the placement of picture lights and the table-top lamps for the lower paintings.  It is a tradition for pots of azaleas to decorate the room each spring.


The Dining Room at Broadlands, circa 1983.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

David Hicks chose a vibrant yellow for the walls of the Dining Room to compliment four portraits by van Dyck.  This room shows the influence of Hicks the most, with the blue and yellow carpet of classical motifs and the set of ten armchairs at the table.  The bulk of the silver collection shown here consists of pieces given to the Mountbattens as gifts during their stay in India.


The Wedgwood Room at Broadlands, circa 1983.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

Afternoon tea is served in the Wedgwood Room with a suite of Empire seating pulled up to a round table in front of the fireplace.  Sir Peter Lely painted the portraits of Barbara Villiers and Lady Annabella Howe.  Henry Holland the Younger designed the room in 1788.


The Portico Room at Broadlands, circa 1983.
Photo by Derry Moore for Architectural Digest.

The Bedroom known as the Portico Room uses chintz that had been ordered in 1854 for the royal yacht, the first named the Victoria and Albert (later renamed the Osborne).  Broadlands is open to the public late June to early September;  see the Broadland Estates website here.


Lord Braburne, right, with his son Nicholas, 2012.
Photo via Daily Mail.

Lord Braburne left Broadlands for the Bahamas in 2010, leaving his wife Penny for his mistress, according to the British tabloids.  He now lives in the Belgravia section of London, according to reports.  After a period of addiction to crack cocaine and heroin, son Nicholas (named for his uncle killed by the IRA) is now clean according to the Daily Mail, and on track to eventually become the Earl Mountbatten, inheriting Broadlands and the associated fortune.

The Unseen Rex Whistler

Devoted Readers in London in the next few weeks are in for a very special treat.  The noted decorating and antiques firm Sibyl Colefax & John Fowler is hosting a remarkable free exhibition of works by artist Rex Whistler from private collections and most have not been previously exhibited.

The exhibit, held in conjunction with the release of a new book IN SEARCH OF REX WHISTLER: HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK, will be held in the famous Yellow Room that had once served as part of the living quarters of legendary interior decorator Nancy Lancaster (a partner in the business founded by Sibyl Colefax).


A general view of the Yellow Room at 39 Brook Street
during the occupancy of Nancy Lancaster.

The room has long been without the legendary decorator's furnishings, of course, but it is still interesting to see.  It is a "must" for all devoted classicists.


The Rex Whistler murals at 36 Hill Street, Mayfair,
as published in Country Life magazine, 1939.

See the recent posts about the art of the brilliant Rex Whistler in The Devoted Classicist by clicking on the title:  Rex Whistler Murals, More of the Artistry of Rex Whistler, and Rex Whistler's Circle.  To see more information about the new book by Mirabel Cecil and Hugh Cecil or to order at a discount from the list price, click on the title:  IN SEARCH OF REX WHISTLER: HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK.

Rex Whistler's Painted Room Travelled

Rex Whistler's painted panels now adorn
the dining room at The Grove.
India Hicks

A previous post of The Devoted Classicist, "Rex Whistler Murals", presented a sampling of the work of the great artist of the first half of the twentieth century.  All the projects were incredibly fantastic in their own way, with a great advantage being Rex Whistler's great range allowing each to be so unique.  Although Whistler had a studio that made it easier to paint the large murals on canvas, he sometimes painted directly on the walls.  It is fortunate that the client insisted that this one project in particular was painted on canvas because it has travelled to another location not once but twice.


Edwina, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.
Daily Mail

All of Whistler's patrons were wealthy, but perhaps none was more celebrated than Edwina Mountbatten, Countess Mountbatten of Burma.  Born Edwina Cynthia Annette Ashley, descended from the Earls of Shaftesbury, in 1901 at the family estate, Broadlands, she grew up in an environment of great priviledge.


Broadlands was improved by architect Henry Holland
beginning in 1767.
Photo from Wikipedia.

Not an academically strong student, she went to live with her maternal grandfather, Sir Ernest Joseph Cassel, one of the richest and most powerful men in Europe, after the death of his wife and only child, rather than continue her studies.  She filled the role of hostess at his London mansion, Brook House, on Park Lane and became his heir, inheriting a fortune in cash and real estate at age 20, in 1921.  She married Lord Louis Mountbatten of the British Royal Family (second cousin once removed to Queen Elizabeth II and uncle of Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh) in 1922, and gave birth to two daughters, Patricia (Knatchbull) in 1924, and Pamela (Hicks) in 1929.


The stairhall of the Mountbatten penthouse at Brook House
decorated by Mrs. Joshua Cosden
in collaboration with Victor Proetz.
Country Life photo.

The living room of the Mountbatten penthouse
decorated by Mrs. Joshua Cosden with Victor Proetz.
Country Life photo.

 A new luxurious apartment building, also called Brook House, was constructed between 1933 and 1935 on site of the razed mansion, with the Mountbattens taking the duplex penthouse constructed to their specifications, satisfying a requirement that Edwina maintains a residence there.


Lady Mountbatten's boudoir at Brook House, London.
Photo by A.E. Henson for Country Life.
Published in the August 24, 1939, issue.



Another view of Lady Mountbatten's boudoir at Brook House.
Photo by A.E. Henson for Country Life.
Published in the August 24, 1939, issue.

 

The panel designs are classical with allegorical statuary, trophies and architecture, but personalized to represent some special meaning to the client.

Designs for the murals at Brook House.
REX WHISTLER. HIS LIFE AND HIS DRAWINGS
by Laurence Whistler, Sheneval Press Ltd, 1949.

The pet lion Sabi.
India Hicks

After a couple of decades devoted to pleasure, the Mountbattens went into public service at the outbreak of World War II.  Fortunately, the Rex Whistler panels were removed from Brook House in 1939 and the building was demolished after damage from Nazi bombing.


David and Lady Pamela Hicks
Art Architector

Lady Pamela lived with her parents in India in 1947 and 1948 when her father was Viceroy of India the Governor-General of post-Partition India. Lady Pamela, the second great-great-grandchild of Queen Victoria, is a former lady-in-waiting to Elizabeth II and acted as her bridesmaid at her wedding to Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, her first cousin.  In 1960, she married the interior designer David Hicks.  Hicks' career was launched in 1954 when the house he had decorated for his mother and himself was published in British House & Garden magazine to great acclaim.  

Britwell
Photo:  British Listed Buildings.

Soon after their marriage, the Hickses bought Britwell, a 1728 house with wings added in the early 20th century.  The panels from the Brook House boudoir were installed in Lady Pamela's study.  It appears that possibly some blank panels may have been created to make the layout work, but the scheme was very successful despite being a slightly simplified version of the original room.


Lady Pamela Hicks' study at Britwell.
Photo from
DAVID HICKS ON HOME DECORATION.

In DAVID HICKS ON HOME DECORATION, published in 1972, the designer/author wrote, "The boudoir painted by Rex Whistler for Brook House in 1937 has a pale blue background and grisaille decoration.  I continued the late 'thirties theme by using a boxy sofa and all-white upholstery, and placed early Chinese ceramics on the Louis XVI chimney."

The tax burden, along with other expenses to maintain the property led to a sale of the house and many of the contents in 1979.  But the Rex Whistler panels were again removed to be installed in the dining room of the Hickses next house, The Grove.



The Grove.
Life.style.etc

The Rex Whistler panels were expertly adapted, by all indications, to suit their present location at The Grove.


Rex Whistler's painted panels as installed in The Grove.

David Nightingale Hicks died in 1998 while still in residence at The Grove (not at Britwell Salome as reported on most websites).  It continues to be home to Lady Pamela.


Lady Pamela' grandaughter Dolly with Bun.
Photo by her father, David Flint Wood.
Indiahicks.com

David Hicks wrote a number of books on interior design featuring examples of his own work to illustrate his design philosophy.  Some vintage copies are still available today including LIVING WITH DESIGN, DAVID HICKS ON HOME DECORATION, DAVID HICKS ON DECORATION -- WITH FABRICS, and STYLE AND DESIGN.  The best book about the designer, however, was written by his son Ashley Hicks, DAVID HICKS: DESIGNER.

Rex Whistler's Circle

Rex Whistler self portrait.
Image:  BBC.

While the great artistic talent of Rex Whistler cannot be denied, the contributions to his success made through his friendships should not be underestimated.  His association with the 'Bright Young Things', as the group of young bohemian aristocrats and socialites of 1920s London was dubbed, undoubtedly helped Whistler's stylistic development.  As mentioned in the first post of this series of The Devoted Classicist, it started with his friendship with Stephen Tennant whom he met in art school.  Another member of the same set also known as the 'Bright Young People' was Tennant's best friend Cecil Beaton.


Rex Whistler as a shepherd.  1927.
Photo by Cecil Beaton.

Cecil Beaton was a fashion and society photographer known for his portraits of the royal family as well as the celebrities of the day.  (He also achieved success after World War II for designing sets and costumes for stage and screen, notably "Gigi" and "My Fair Lady". both which earned Beaton an Oscar for Costume Design).


Rex Whistler and Cecil Beaton.

In 1930, Beaton was taken by sculptor Stephen Tomlin and writer Edith Oliver (Whistler's collaborator on the mural for the Tate restaurant) to see Ashcombe, a derelict house that was originally part of a larger 18th century manor on over 1,000 acres.  Despite the poor condition and lack of plumbing and electricity, Beaton fell in love with the property and took on a 15 year lease for GBP 50 a year on the condition that he make all the improvements at his own expense.  Guests at Ashcombe House included many notable actors and artists such as Salvador Dali, Christian Berard, and Augustus John in addition to Whistler.


The bed in the "Circus Room" at Ashcombe.
Image from Prints Online.

One of the famous rooms of the house was the "Circus Room" with a carousel-inspired bed designed by Whistler and murals painted by Whistler and other houseguests. 


Cecil Beaton in the "Circus Room" at Ashcombe.

Rex Whistler also designed the front door surround of Bath stone.  Sadly, Beaton had to give up the house at the end of the lease (and it was then occupied by the landlord's son).  The story of Beaton's time there is recorded in his book ASHCOMBE, THE STORY OF THE FIFTEEN YEAR LEASE.


The cover of Beaton's book, first published in 1949,
features Rex Whistler's painting of  Ashcombe.
The Devoted Classicist Library

Madonna and Guy Ritchie bought Ashcombe in 2001 (for more than the guide price of GBP 9 million, it is believed).  Little remains of Beaton's neo-baroque interior decoration with the exception of part of the "Circus Room" murals.  After the divorce, Mr. Ritchie retained ownership of the estate.


Ashcombe and Madonna as they appeared
in a Vogue magazine photo by Tim Walker.

Despite what may be seen as Dream Projects for Rex Whistler, the clients were not always easy to please.  Such was the case with Mrs. Gilbert Russell, owner of Mottisfont Abbey.  Her portrait by Boris Anrep, around 1930, shows her in bed in a previous residence.  But it is too marvelous not to include.


A portrait of Mrs. Gilbert Russell
 circa 1930 by Boris Anrep.

Another painting to be shared is one by Rex Whistler, in the manner of Salvador Dali, a Surrealist landscape done as a challenge to imitate his friend's style.


A Surreal Landscape by Rex Whistler, 1942.
The Estate of Rex Whistler.

The last painting by Rex Whistler reveals not only the artist's great talent and imagination, but also his sense of humor.  It shows the almost naked Prince over the sleeping ingenue of the city of Brighton.


Allegory:  H.R.H., the Prince Regent
Awakening the Spirit of Brighton.  1944.
Royal Pavilion, Libraries & Museums, Brighton.

For the Devoted Readers who were already fans of Rex Whistler, it is hoped that this provided a satisfying, if brief, review.  For those who were not familiar, The Devoted Classicist hopes new fans will be inspired to learn more about this great artist.

More of the Artistry of Rex Whistler

Rex Whistler's limewood urn at the end of the Gallery
of 12 North Audley Street, London.
Photo published in Country Life 1962.

Devoted Readers will recall a previous series of posts on The Menagerie, a remarkable folly whose Saloon featured four urns copied from a limewood model Rex Whistler created for the London home of Samuel Cortauld at 12 North Audley Street.  A exceptional rear Gallery, possibly based on designs by Edward Lovett Pearce, featured an end niche for which Whistler designed an urn that was carved from limewood, as seen in the first photo, when the house was occupied by Chistabel, Lady Aberconway.


A building section of 12 North Audley Street, London.
Image from British History archives.

White Allom decorated a bedroom on an upper floor (the next-to-top level) in the "Chinese" style around 1932 with Whistler painting a panel over the fireplace to blend with the wallpaper, but highlighting Picasso's "L'Enfant Au Pideon" dating from about 1901.  Considering it was a secondary room, it must have been a truly remarkable space.


The fireplace in the Chinese Bedroom
12 North Audley Street
with the panel over the mantle painted by Rex Whistler.
Photo from London Metro Archives.

The panel over the mantle painted by Rex Whistler c 1932
in the Chinese Bedroom, 12 N Audley Street, London.
Photo from Victoria & Albert Museum.

Picasso's painting "L'Enfant Au Pigeon".

The talent of Rex Whistler extended into a number of areas.  Whistler's sketch for a bookplate for Duff Cooper was printed from an engraving by Robert Osmond in 1931.


The bookplate for Duff Cooper
designed by Rex Whistler.
Image from The Duff Cooper Prize.

The bookplate is now used as the logo for The Duff Cooper Prize, an annual award for the best in non-fiction writing given each year since 1956.


Rex Whistler's design for the set of the ballet
"The Rake's Progress" 1942

The stage set and costumes for the 1935 Royal Opera House production of the ballet "The Rake's Progress" were designed by Rex Whistler.  Inspired by a series of paintings by social satirist William Hogarth, the colors evoke murky 18th century London in presenting a young man's fall from grace after being corrupted by wealth;  the sets and costume designs are still used when the ballet is staged. Whistler also designed the sets for a 1942 production for Sadler's Wells ballet, as seen in the image above.


Rex Whistler's design for a Neptune carpet,
a circa 1935 oil sketch.
Image from the Edward James Foundation.

One of The Devoted Classicist's most memorable of many wonderful experiences as an Attingham student was spending a week living at West Dean, the Edwardian country estate of art patron Edward James.  After dinner in the modern David Mlinaric-decorated dining hall in the converted service court, a lecture followed in the original Dining Room of the house, now used as a conference room.  Although listening, my eyes often studied the fantastic rug woven to a design by Rex Whistler about 1935, pictured above.


A toile fabric printed in a design by Rex Whistler.
Image from Clovelly Silk Company.

Textile design was another field that benefitted from Rex Whistler's talent.  His design for a toile de jouy printed cotton is still produced by the Clovelly Silk Company.

Despite the great talent shown in Rex Whistler's murals and other artistic expressions more associated with architecture and  decorative arts, many know him from his pictures of two faces in a single image that are different when viewed inverted.


Reversible faces from OHO.

Rex's brother Laurence Whistler added witty comments and published the books OHO and AHA that can can be read from different directions in 1946.


Rex Whistler's "Tivoli From The Road" 1929.

Rex Whistler produced landscape paintings and portraits of high quality, it's just that his decorative work is of more interest to this writer.



A Sitting Room at 39 Preston Park, Brighton,
decorated by Rex Whistler.

At age 35, Rex Whistler was too old to join the army, but he persuaded the Welsh Guards to take him in.  This room in Brighton that served as an officer's Sitting Room was painted by Whistler to enliven the space while he waited to be shipped out.  The overmantle silhouette of King George IV painted on paper was preserved and is now in the collection of The Royal Pavillion in Brighton.


Rex Whistler self portrait, 1940.
On the balcony of 27 York Terrace, London.
Council of the National Army Museum.

This self portrait, on a balcony overlooking Regent's Park, London, was painted the day his uniform arrived.  Although Whistler could have served in an artistic function in England, he felt that men his age should fight.  Rex was a tank commander, part of the Guards Armoured Division that crossed to Normandy following the D-Day Invasions.  He was killed on his first day of action.


Rex Whistler in a photo by Howard Coster, 1936.

According to Jenny Spencer-Smith of the National Army Museum, 'The Times' received more letters about his death in action than any other person during World War II.

A Memorial Exhibition of Rex Whistler's works was held in the Victoria & Albert Museum, London, from October 12 to December 18, 1960, and in Brighton, January 7 to 28, 1961.  A catalogue of 31 pages was authored by brother Laurence Whistler.

Laurence Whistler also wrote a book about his brother titled THE LAUGHTER AND THE URN, THE LIFE OF REX WHISTLER that was published in 1985.  The cover features a detail of his murals for Plas Newydd, with the artist holding a broom.

But the book soon to be published that Whistler fans are anticipating is IN SEARCH OF REX WHISTLER: HIS LIFE AND HIS WORK by Mirabel and Hugh Cecil.  The cover features a detail of the mural for Port Lympne, featured in the previous post.  A selection of books about Rex Whistler and his work may be ordered here.

A third post in this series will present people and objects associated with Rex Whistler.  If this is being read from the archives rather from a current post of The Devoted Classicist, be sure to read "Rex Whistler Murals" here.