Joshua Reynolds (English, 1723-1792), Mrs. Musters as Hebe (1782), oil on canvas [Seattle Art Museum, Feb 14-May 19] Photo courtesy American Federation of Arts

Known for its distinguished art collection, Kenwood House in northern London is currently undergoing major renovation and conservation efforts to restore the neoclassical villa’s façade. The popular visitor destination houses an impressive roster of masterworks, including pieces by Rembrandt van Rijn, Johan Vermeer, Frans Hals, J.M.W. Turner, Anthony van Dyck and Thomas Gainsborough. Many of these masterpieces are making a rare U.S. tour during the closure.

Known as the Iveagh Bequest, this important collection was formed by Edward Cecil Guinness (1847-1927), heir to the Guinness Brewery, and was bequeathed to England, along with the Kenwood House estate and gardens upon his passing in 1927. The historic attraction was opened to the public in 1928. The stellar collection, most of which has never been seen outside of Europe, exemplifies a style of portraiture, landscape and 17th-century Dutch and Flemish works that were typical of English aristocratic taste during the late 1800s when this collection was primarily formed.

Among the treasures of this collection is a late self-portrait by Rembrandt, Portrait of the Artist (c. 1665), one of the few where the artist depicts himself in the studio. Other highlights of this exhibition include Gainsborough’s Mary, Countess Howe (c. 1764), a picturesque full-length portrait of the elegantly clothed woman set against the English countryside and Joshua Reynolds’ otherworldly depiction Mrs. Musters as Hebe (1782).

Allyn Cantor