National Gallery Leather Benches Find New Home at Wadsworth Atheneum
In Hartford, Connecticut, two Victorian-style gallery benches that once belonged to the National Gallery in London have found a new home in the Morgan Great Hall at the Wadsworth Atheneum. These benches made their journey across the Atlantic after the London museum auctioned off its leather seating last year via Bellmans auction house, with each piece selling for around £1,200. The benches are modern reproductions, primarily crafted in the 1990s. A spokesperson from the National Gallery noted that the red leather benches did not meet fire safety standards and posed cleaning challenges, which could endanger the artwork from pests. The Wadsworth has documented this transfer in an online film, highlighting the benches' new role in serving visitors for years to come.
Key facts
- The National Gallery in London sold its leather benches last year through Bellmans auction house
- Benches sold for around £1,200 each
- The seats sold are modern reproductions made mostly in the 1990s
- A National Gallery spokesperson said the red leather benches were not fire rated to required safety standards and were difficult to clean, causing risks to paintings from pests
- Several benches have been installed in the Morgan Great Hall at the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut
- The Wadsworth Atheneum produced an online film about the furniture switch
- The film describes two Victorian-style gallery benches crossing an ocean to continue their museum careers at the Wadsworth
- The Telegraph reported on the benches' installation at the Wadsworth
Entities
Institutions
- National Gallery
- Wadsworth Atheneum
- Bellmans
- The Telegraph
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- Hartford
- Connecticut
- United States