London Art Tours - for the visitor to London who wishes to view and experience the incomparable art and architecture of the city, via galleries and exhibitions.

Kenwood House Hampstead Lane, London NW3 7JR tel: 020-8348 1286 www.english-heritage.org.uk/visits tube: Hampstead 1st April-31st October, daily 10:00-17:00 1st November-31st March, daily 10:00-16:00 admission: free

Set amidst the rolling landscape of Hampstead Heath, Kenwood House might easily convince you that it was one of the stately homes of England. Yet the astounding views across the whole of London betray just how close this rural idyll is to the centre of the metropolis. The house was rebuilt between 1764 and 1779 by Robert Adam and it remains a jewel of the refined taste of the man who commissioned it, William Murray, First Earl Mansfield (1705-93). The interior of the Library dates from 1767-70 and was described by Adam as "intended both for a library and a room for receiving company". Today you will feel very much like the visitor to an aristocratic mansion of a collector of immense wealth and discernment. But what is it that links this quintessentially English house to the archetypal Irish beer, Guinness? Edward Cecil Guinness, was the great grandson of the founder of the Dublin brewery. A multi-millionaire in his early 40s he retired from the business to devote himself to philanthropic causes and the purchase of art. His collection has been displayed at Kenwood since 1928 and known as The Iveagh Bequest (after the title he acquired in 1905 - Earl of Iveagh). Two of the greatest paintings in London are here. Vermeer's Guitar Player and Rembrandt's Self-Portrait are usually displayed in the same room and make this one of the most sublime and unforgettable experiences for the serious gallery-goer in London. If that weren't enough, Kenwood House boasts one of the finest collection of portraits from the Golden Age of English paintings. Fifteen paintings by Reynolds, ten by Romney and eight by Gainsborough were included in the original bequest. Hals, Pieter van den Broecke, c.1633 Rembrandt, Portrait of the Artist, 1665 Vermeer, The Guitar Player, c.1672 Gainsborough, Mary, Countess Howe, c.1763-4 Gainsborough, Lady Brisco, 1776 Reynolds, Lady Mary Leslie, 1764 Reynolds, Miss Kitty Fisher in the character of Cleopatra, 1759 Romney, Lady Hamilton at the Spinning Wheel, 1782-6 Raeburn, Sir George Sinclair as a Boy, c.1794 Turner, A Coast Scene with Fishermen Hauling a Boat Ashore, c.1803 Lawrence, Miss Murray, 1825-7 In this tranquil situation you cannot fail to be overwhelmed by the superb architecture, the beauty of the natural setting and the simply astounding quality of this collection of art.