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‘Celebrating 200 years: Richard Fitzwilliam and the Fitzwilliam Museum, 1816-2016’.
October 2016
One of Richmond’s many famous inhabitants was Richard, 7th Viscount Fitzwilliam of Merrion. Born in Fitzwilliam (later Pembroke) House on Richmond Green in 1745, he grew up to become a talented musician, collector and connoisseur. His family tomb is in Richmond churchyard, but his true memorial is Cambridge’s Fitzwilliam Museum, the result of his generous bequest to that University of his entire collection of paintings, manuscripts, books and prints, along with funds to build a ‘good, substantial and convenient museum.’
In this talk, Dr Lucilla Burn will discussed Lord Fitzwilliam’s life and character and sketch the origins and growth of the Fitzwilliam Museum over the last 200 years.
Dr Lucilla Burn is Keeper of Antiquities and Assistant Director for Collections at the Fitzwilliam Museum, and a Fellow of Newnham College,Cambridge. Her interests include ancient Greek vases and terracottas and the history of collecting. 2016 saw the publication of her book ‘The Fitzwilliam Museum, a History’, the first detailed account of the Museum’s development, published to mark the Fitzwilliam’s bicentenary.