Woburn Abbey

Queen Victoria's Dressing Room

Prior to Queen Victoria's visit this room had been furnished and was used as a small drawing-room - a room into which you would withdraw after rising and dressing, or after taking luncheon or dinner.The Royal couple were given The Yellow Drawing Room for this purpose. It now contains a superb collection of seventeenth-century Dutch and Flemish paintings, the most notable being a painting by Aelbert Cuyp (1620-91), Nijmegen on the Waal, which hangs over the rolltop desk made by Sean Henri Riesener in 1774 and used by Lord John Russell to write his speeches. Opposite is another painting by Aelbert Cuyp, Fishermen on the Ice, a very famous winter scene. The 6th Duke paid £1,200 for this picture sometime between 1802 and 1806 and over the mantelpiece is a sensitive portrait of Jan Snellinck by Sir Anthony Van Dyck ( 1599-1641). Over the jib door is a painting by David Teniers (1610-90), La Fete aux Chaudron, showing the artist in a red cloak and his family standing in the left foreground. On the left of the fireplace is a picture of a family party making merry by Jan Steen (1636-89) entitled Twelfth Night Feast; it was acquired by the family in about 1754. The portable firescreens with panels of blue silk damask to match the wall hangings were used to protect the ladies' delicate complexions from the heat of the fire.

The elaborately decorated ceilings in this room were designed by Gianbattista Borra and were copied from the remains of a ceiling discovered in a temple at Palmyra.

The porcelain vase and cover on the Riesener desk is from the Sevres factory (c.1780). The ground colour is beau bleu richly gilt and the reserve is painted with a sultan and his paramour.

There is a beautiful view of the Park and Basin Pond from the windows. In the mid eighteenth century when the 4th Duke was First Lord of the Admiralty, a frigate was kept on this pond, which in those days was round. Daniel Defoe mentions it in his Tour through Britain, published in 1761. "before the House is a very large Bason of Water, surrounded with a fine broad Gravel-walk, which is bounded with Posts and Iron Chains. On the water is a beautiful Yacht, of between 50 and 40 Tons Burden, elegantly caved and gilt, and completely rigged, and mounts 10 Guns, which are fired on occasions of entertainment etc. given on board her by His Grace. There is also an Elegant Boat, with a fine Awning over it; a Wherry of common Shape, and a skiff, which are very neat, and make a beautiful Appearance on this noble Bason of Water". It is easy to imagine the Duke's boyish delight in showing people around his frigate on the 'garden pond'.