Oracle Capital Group hosted a reception at the Royal Academy of Arts last night, Thursday 12 December, to mark the conclusion of the highly-successful exhibition this year of “Houghton Revisited – Masterpieces of the Walpole Collection”.
Culture Minister Ed Vaizey gave a speech praising the exhibition and Oracle Capital Group’s contribution to it. Calling “Houghton Revisited”, which he visited in the summer, “exceptional” and “magical” he said: “I would like to thank Oracle Capital Group very much indeed for co-sponsoring the exhibition. “Houghton Revisited” was an historic exhibition shown in an historic location.” The Marquis of Cholmondeley, owner of Houghton Hall where the exhibition was displayed, also spoke very warmly of Oracle Capital Group’s role in making the exhibition the great success it was.
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Co-sponsored by Oracle Capital Group as part of its committed ongoing support for the arts in the UK, the exhibition attracted a record 114,000 visitors. The Earl of Clanwilliam, Chairman of Oracle Capital Group’s Charitable Foundation said: “We are passionate about art. We are a platinum patron of The Royal Academy of Arts, as well as a corporate sponsor of Wigmore Hall in London where we support concerts.It has been a great privilege to sponsor a world-class art exhibition such as “Houghton Revisited”, which has not only resulted in the highest critical acclaim but also given so much personal pleasure to so many.”
Houghton Hall in Norfolk, home to the Marquis of Cholmondeley and where the pictures have been on display this year, was built between 1722 and 1735 by England’s first Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole and once housed Walpole’s celebrated collection of Old Master paintings. Most of these were sold by the Walpole family to Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779 and now belong to the Hermitage Museum in St Petersburg. Anglo-Russian cooperation resulted in the “Houghton Revisited” collection which reunited the paintings to be displayed in their original home for the first time since then.
Described by leading art critic Brian Sewell from London’s Evening Standard as: “An achievement without precedent, a marvel, a wonder to behold…intensely rewarding”, the reception was the last chance to see some of the paintings from this historic collection, which included fine examples of Rembrandt, Frans Hals, Rubens, Jordaens, Poussin, Watteau and Velazquez.
Feted by both the public and critics alike, “Houghton Revisited” was described by HRH The Prince of Wales, who opened the exhibition earlier this year, as a “once in a lifetime experience”. Yury Gantman, CEO of Oracle Capital Group said: “We celebrated the opening of the “Houghton Revisited” exhibition earlier this year by attending a preview reception at the Russian Embassy in London in the presence of the Russian Ambassador, His Excellency Alexander Yakovenko and Mrs Nana Yakovenko. Now we have celebrated the exhibition’s hugely successful conclusion by creating this final opportunity to see some of these beautiful art works again at the Royal Academy of Arts in London.”
