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Daniel Marot Lecture 2025

Lecture by Matthew Hirst

Matthew Hirst will speak about the restoration and refurbishment of Woburn Abbey, home of the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, and one of the great historic treasure houses of Britain.

About Matthew

Matthew Hirst is Curator of the Woburn Abbey Collection. He began his career at Waddesdon Manor. In 2007 he took up the new post of Head of Arts & Historic Collections for the Devonshire Collections, managing a major conservation programme and the representation of many of the historic interiors at Chatsworth. In 2015 Matthew moved to Woburn Abbey, and has since researched and developed a major representation and restoration of the house, marking the largest programme of works at the Abbey since it opened to the public in 1955. Matthew is also a trustee of the Wentworth Woodhouse Preservation Trust and the Leche Trust.

The Transformation of Woburn Abbey

In November 2019 Woburn Abbey closed to visitors to undergo a generational programme of restoration and refurbishment which will ensure the survival of this remarkable house and collection for centuries to come. Works are still underway – the house has undergone a transformation – and when it reopens the collections, much of which will have been conserved, will be redisplayed to dramatic effect. The new presentation will showcase the history and development of Woburn Abbey from monastic times to the present day. Matthew will highlight some of the changes that can be expected, in particular the renaissance of the Grotto Apartment, a suite of three rooms from the early 17th century created for the 4th Earl of Bedford. He will also share some of the more intriguing discoveries that have been made along the way and give a flavour of what can be expected when the Abbey reopens to the public.

THE DANIEL MAROT LECTURE

Every year, the Daniel Marot Fund/Rijksmuseum Fund organises the Daniel Marot Lecture, which provides a podium for a national or international expert in the field of interior history and applied art.

Thank you

The annual Daniel Marot Lecture is made possible by the Daniël Marot Fonds / Rijksmuseum Fonds

Daniel Marot Lecture

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Entrance

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Total

16 September 2025
20-22 hr
€ 15

Location

Auditorium Rijksmuseum

ADDRESS

Museumstraat 1
1071 XX Amsterdam

Programme

  • 19:30-20 hr– Doors open
  • 20-21 hr – Lecture
  • 21-22 hr – Drinks

Language

The lecture will be in English

Matthew Hirst

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Woburn Abbey West Front

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The legacy of Duchess Anna Maria

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Mortlake Acts of the Apostles tapestries

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Daniel Marot Lecture 2025