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Wednesday, August 14, 2019

A visit to Chatsworth -- Sort of

Last Saturday - August 10 - a friend and I visited Sotheby's on York Avenue in New York City to see the Treasures of Chatsworth.

Chatsworth is the home of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire.

I visited Chatsworth, which is in Derbyshire,  in the early 1990s.  It rained the entire time. I would love to see it again.  This exhibit is a very good introduction to Chatsworth and the Cavendish family.

The exhibit is free and features artwork and jewels from the the Duke of Devonshire's private collection.

The entry to the exhibit features a film on Chatsworth and its visitors including Queen Mary and Adele Astaire.  Kathleen Kennedy is also in the film. In May 1944, she married William Cavendish, Marquess of Hartington, eldest son and heir of the 10th Duke of Devonshire.  Four months after the wedding, Lord Hartington was killed by a sniper in Belgium.  In 1948, Lady Hartington died in a plane crash.

The tour moves into a large room with a panoramic film of the interiors and exteriors of Chatsworth.   On prominent display in the center of the room is the Devonshire tiara.   The rest of the exhibit includes portraits of family members including  Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire and the famed Lucien Freud portrait of the late Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire (one of the Mitford sisters), several Canalettos,  sculpture, the Devonshire parure,  Deborah's Coronation robes and the 11th Duke's Garter Robe and Order.

There is a companion exhibit: Inspired by Chatsworth - A Selling Exhibit. The items in the latter exhibit are for sale. 

 The Chatsworth exhibition is free to the public and runs through September 13.















Kathleen Kennedy

Adele Astaire















12th Duke (Stoker)

The Duchess of Devonshire  (Amanda)





Deborah, Duchess of Devonshire  by Lucien Freud

11th Duke by Lucien Freud







Georgiana, Duchess of Devonshire (Lady Georgiana Spencer)

Evelyn, Duchess of Devonshire  (wife of 9th Duke)






the Canalettos

there are about 8 or so videos that are shown in a loop throughout the day








Lady Burlington





the Duchess of Devonshire's costume from the Duchess of Devonshire's ball in 1897

























Devonshire Parure































































We also visited the Inspired by Chatsworth exhibit.  These works of art are for sale.  The Chatsworth exhibition returns to Chatsworth.




This would like nice on my dining room wall















Napoleon



https://www.sothebys.com/en/series/treasures-from-chatsworth-the-exhibition

The website includes more information about the exhibit and includes several of the videos that we saw on Saturday.   The exhibit is FREE!  Definitely worth the trip to NYC.  I had a time ticket, but you can walk in and see the exhibit as well. 

https://www.chatsworth.org/



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