This view shows the vista looking northwards from the Dining Room down the enfilade of Saloon, Drawing Room and Circular Ante-room to the Picture Gallery, as it was in Lord Northwick's later years (he died in 1859). John Rushout, 2nd Baron Northwick, was one of the greatest English collectors of his day. He had acquired the unfinished Thirlestaine House in 1831 to take the overflow from his new gallery at Northwick Park, and from 1840-53 he proceeded to enlarge it to house his vast collection. The galleries were open to the public every afternoon from 1pm until 4pm, and were one of the principal sights of Cheltenham, then a fashionable watering place. Lord Northwick died intestate, and the collections were sold at auction over twenty-two days, realising in excess of #90,000.

The Times was moved to comment on the disposal of Lord Northwick's picture collection - incidentally illuminating the value of such collections at the period before the great Victorian museum-movement had got under way 'The residents and visitors of Cheltenham know its value, and will long lament its unfortunate dispersion. The galleries at Thirlestaine House were the pride of Cheltenham. They were to that thriving town what the National Gallery is to the metropolis. They were open all the year round, without fee or charge of any kind, and their liberal owner had no greater pleasure than that of knowing that his pictures drew visitors by the hundred. In like manner, at Northwick Park, near Campden, his Lordship had built a spacious gallery, which was never closed at any hour of the day to the public, and being the only gallery for many miles round, was greatly valued by all the neighbourhood. Until within the last year or two Lord Northwick spent much of his time every day among his pictures, and took great delight in pointing out their beauties to any intelligent visitor who might ask permission to see the collection. These splendid collections are now scattered to the winds. Undoubtedly, he who collects treasures of art in the way Lord Northwick did, and gives the public the benefit of them during his life, does a great service in his day and generation; but it is impossible not to remember how much greater service he renders who not only forms a collection, but provides for its perpetuity. ...there being no instructions as to their disposal, there is no choice but to sell them, and appropriate their proceeds among the heirs-at-law. Next to the mischief of making an unfair will is that of making none at all.' (The Times, 30 Aug.1859)

The interior views of Thirlestaine and Northwick Park, of which a number survive, are important in showing a great collection of pictures, sculpture and objets d'art in situ. The Northwick sale catalogue allows many of the works to be identified and in some cases traced to their present locations. The drawing here shows the so-called Titian of Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey, now lost. Below that is one of the Poussin Landscapes, its pair being on the other side of the door. To the right above is the Domenichino St Sebastian. Above the door is a Palma of The Holy Family; above the right hand door is the so-called Giorgione Venus complaining to Cupid, from the Orléans Collection, now in the Wallace Collection, London. Among the smaller pictures is a Guardi of A Courtyard, also now in the Wallace Collection. The vista is closed by Rubens' Marriage of the Virgin, giving a date before 1853 for this drawing as the painting was moved when the Picture Gallery was enlarged by the addition of the 'Parthenon Gallery'. It was replaced by Moretto's Glorification of the Virgin.

We know from David Roberts, the artist, writing from Thirlestaine in 1843, that Lord Northwick's nieces, Georgiana and Harriet Rushout-Bowles, painted views in the house, and a drawing probably by the same hand as this has been attributed to one or other of them (see Sotheby's, 11 July 1991, lots 196-198). We are grateful to the Rev. Addison for his help in preparing this catalogue entry