Blenheim Palace

The Red Drawing Room

In this room, for deliberate contrast, two very large paintings face one another. The great Reynolds, dated 1778, is of the 4th Duke of Marlborough and his family. In his left hand the Duke holds a sardonyx, while his heir, the Marquis of Blandford, carries one of the cases containing the Marlborough gems. The whole family took part in private theatricals, performed in a sumptuous theatre in the orangery. The story go es that while he was painting this group at Blenheim, Sir Joshua scattered snuff; whereupon the Duchess, anxious for her carpet, sent for a footman to sweep it up. 'Go away', said Reynolds, 'the dust you make will do more harm to my picture than my snuff to the carpet.' It is said too that he was determined to catch Lady Anne's look of fear (she was four) when she first saw him and cried out: 'I won't be painted!' Hence the mask-charade.

In the Sargent facing it the late Duke stands between his fathe r, Charles 9th Duke, who like the 4th Duke wears Garter robes, and his mother, Consuelo (nee Vanderbilt, and later to become Madame Balsan). 'Sargent', the Duchess afterwards recalled, 'chose a black dress whose wide sleeves were lined with deep rose sati n; the model had been used by van Dyck in a portrait in the Blenheim collection.' The Van Dyck referred to - of Lady Morton and Mrs Killigrew - still hangs in this room on the north wall. The chimney-piece, designed by Sir William Chambers and executed by Joseph Wilton, has a central plaque sculptured to represent the marriage of Cupid and Psyche, in imitation of the most celebrated of the Marlborough gems; while above it hangs Van Dyck's portrait of his wife. The large bronzes of Fame and Mercury are by Coysevox (1640-1720). The bronze on the mantelshelf is by Soldani. This room leads on to the Green Writing Room.