Lot Essay
From 1767, when the Jacobean mansion was acquired by Henry Fox, Ist Baron Holland, Holland House became well known to the British public as a centre for political, literary and artistic discussion. These salons reached their heyday in the time of the 3rd Baron (1773-1840), when Metternich and Talleyrand, as well as Sheridan, Dickens and many other celebrities were entertained there. The 4th Baron, patron of G.F. Watts, continued the family's hospitality, Gladstone and Macaulay being frequent guests. Cattermole, a popular painter of historical genre, has alluded to the house's long history of conviviality by including it as a backdrop for a celebration of May Day at the time of the Restoration.