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Description: | The Fitzwilliam Museum was founded in 1816 by Richard, 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam, who bequeathed his collection of paintings, drawings, books, musical manuscripts and prints to the University of Cambridge Ãfor the purpose of promoting the Increase of Learning and other Great Objects of that Noble FoundationÃ', along with money to construct a dedicated building (the museum) to house the items.
Lord Fitzwilliam was one of the most important collectors of the day, acquiring musical scores, prints and paintings in London, Paris and Spain. His collection of prints was one of the best in England, beginning in the 1790s and including 198 albums of prints and 4 unbound portfolios by the time of his bequest. Of these, his collection of Rembrandt etchings is especially remarkable and remains one of the finest in existence - it was described as being "unsurpassed in England at that time" Fitzwilliam also particularly collected the music of Handel and left a fine collection of original scores which has guaranteed the Museum a place of prominence among the music libraries of the world. Music by Purcell and the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book are other highlighhts of the musical collection.
The FounderÃ's collection also includes paintings of the Fitzwilliam family, including the standard portrait of Richard Fitzwilliam himself - painted by Joseph Wright of Derby in early 1764 whilst the sitter was an final-year undergraduate at Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Other paintings included Dutch paintings he inherited through his maternal grandfather and masterpieces by Titian, Veronese and Palma Vecchio.
In total, the bequest included 144 pictures, more than 500 folio albums of engravings and a library including 130 medieval manuscripts and a collection of autograph music. | Subjects: | Manuscripts Music manuscripts Books Paintings Prints | Source: | Cornucopia - Discovering UK Collections | FAX: | 01223 332 923 | Telephone: | 01223 332 900 | Identifier: | oai:www.cornucopia.org.uk:8360 | Go to resource |
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