Orleans House Gallery
Orleans House Gallery, Riverside, Twickenham, TW1 3DJ, Middlesex, England
Sheltered within six acres of natural woodland overlooking the River Thames stands Orleans House Gallery. Named after its most famous resident, Louis Phillippe, Duc D'Orleans who lived there in exile between 1813-15; Orleans House was originally built in 1710 for James Johnston, Secretary of State for Scotland. The stunning baroque Octagon room was built by architect James Gibbs in 1720. After two centuries of private ownership, Orleans House was demolished in 1926. The outbuildings and octagon room were saved by Mrs Nellie Ionides and were converted into an art gallery in 1972. The Stables gallery was opened in 1994. Since then, the gallery has established a reputation for its innovative exhibition and education programme, attracting over 56,000 visitors a year.
The main gallery hosts five exhibitions per year, ranging from historical exhibitions using works from the permanent collection, through to contemporary exhibtions of painting, crafts and ceramics.
Each main gallery exhibition is complemented by In Focus, featuring a changing themed display of works from the permanent collection.
The nearby Stables gallery exhibits work by up and coming cutting edge artists, local artists and community groups and organisations.
The Stables gallery will be closed during 2007 for refurbishment.
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