The Triumph of Pleasure: Vauxhall Gardens 1729 - 1786

About

Vauxhall Gardens was a place to enjoy contemporary music and art, spectacular design, al fresco dining, beautiful gardens and supper boxes from which to see and be seen. The Triumph of Pleasure: Vauxhall Gardens 1729 — 1786 will explore the Gardens, which for its visitors was an escape from daily realities and a re-affirmation of all the good things that life had to offer. Drawing from the collections of major museums and galleries across the country, and of private lenders, the exhibition will display original works by Canaletto, Gainsborough, Hayman, Roubiliac and Rowlandson. Manuscripts and song sheets of works by Handel, Arne and J.C. Bach will be on display alongside contemporary engravings and other objects associated with the Gardens and with the Foundling Hospital. Vauxhall Gardens was an all-embracing sensual experience, becoming an international byword for pleasure and now, over 200 years later, visitors to the Foundling Museum can experience the sights, sounds and tastes of the Gardens once more.