The Whistler Room Wall Lights, Mottisfont Abbey
Rex Whistler (Eltham 1905 - Normandy 1944)
Category
Metalwork
Date
1939
Materials
Brass, Ormolu
Place of origin
England
Order this imageCollection
Mottisfont, Hampshire
NT 769622
Summary
Ten cast brass ormolu wall-mounted lights. Shaped as urns with obelisks branching into candlestick each with four simulated green candles. Designed by Rex Whistler (1905-1944) for the Drawing Room at Mottisfont Abbey and made by Dernier & Hamlyn Ltd., 1939.
Full description
These ten wall lights were designed by Rex Whistler (1905-1944) to compliment his painted wall scheme in the Drawing Room at Mottisfont Abbey (now known as the Whistler Room). From correspondence between Whistler and his patron, Maud Russell (1891-1982) it appears they may have been an additional piece of work to the original commission. Lights do not appear on Whistler's surviving sketches for the space, with their locations often taken up by trophies or other proposed painted elements. Instead, in Whistler's letter of 12 November 1939 [Salisbury Museum 2013.27.2305] he accepts Maud's offer of an additional payment of £100 to cover work done on the wall lights and the ermine. Like the wider scheme, it appears that artist and patron worked closely on the design for the lights. Whistler wrote to Maud on 20 August 1939 [Salisbury Museum 2013.27.2303] where he mentions having seen the prototype for the lights, and describes the changes he has made from earlier iterations: "It think my new curling arms are much prettier than the old ones. I wonder if you will agree? They also seem with their loops to look definitely more Gothic." He also provided a sketch of the design, which is close to the final made examples. The lights were made by the London-based company Dernier & Hamlyn, who billed Maud Russell £195.0s.0d. for them in November 1939.
Makers and roles
Rex Whistler (Eltham 1905 - Normandy 1944) , designer Dernier & Hamlyn Ltd, manufacturer