In Memoriam
The Wallace Collection is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Dame Rosalind Savill, who was Director of the museum from 1992 until 2011.
Following her studies at the University of Leeds and a position in the ceramics department at the Victoria and Albert Museum, Dame Rosalind joined the Wallace Collection in 1974 as a museum assistant. In 1978, she became Assistant to the Director and further developed her life-long passion for the Collection’s outstanding 18th-century French decorative arts, particularly the sumptuous porcelain created by the Sèvres Manufactory. Many years of research culminated in Dame Rosalind’s publication of these treasures in her 1988 Catalogue of Sèvres Porcelain, which remains a ground-breaking work of reference for French ceramic studies.
From here, Dame Rosalind was appointed Director of the Wallace Collection in 1992. With great energy and tenacity, she brought vital change to the museum, transforming it from an undervisited and underappreciated institution into a cultural landmark, made open and relevant to all. Her most ambitious undertaking was developing the Centenary Project.
With generous funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Monument Trust, the Wolfson Foundation and private individuals, this created a glazed courtyard, as well as new exhibition, learning, library and event spaces, while securing the very foundations of the building itself. Dame Rosalind breathed new life into the galleries, too, by leading on their refurbishment and rehanging, giving them the splendid character that is much loved today. These galleries also played host to daring exhibitions under her leadership, including showing works by Lucian Freud in 2006 and Damien Hirst in 2009, which looked to reframe the museum within contemporary contexts and led to an unprecedented rise in visitor numbers.
Dame Rosalind’s extraordinary achievements and expertise were recognised far beyond the Wallace Collection. She was awarded a National Art Collection Fund Prize in 1990, appointed a CBE in 2000 and a DBE in 2009 for her services to the arts, and most recently made an officer of the Ordre des Arts et Lettres in 2014. She also served as a trustee to numerous institutions, including the Royal Collection, the Samuel Courtauld Trust and the Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust, as well as on the advisory committees of the Royal Mint and English Heritage and the academic committee of Waddesdon Manor. In 2011, Dame Rosalind retired from the museum, but continued her research on Sèvres, publishing in 2021 Everyday Rococo, a magisterial study of Madame de Pompadour and her patronage of the porcelain factory. Objects were always at the very centre of her work, and she had an insatiable desire to understand them, through close looking and handling, and strongly encouraged others to do so, too. Above all, she was an inspiring communicator and teacher, playing a pivotal role for generations of art lovers, historians and critics.
The Wallace Collection wishes to celebrate Dame Rosalind’s unwavering commitment and contribution to this remarkable museum and extends heartfelt condolences to her family and friends.
In memory of Dame Rosalind's profound contribution to the study of French decorative arts, in 2025 the Collection will inaugurate an annual memorial lecture in her name. In the spirit of her passion for sharing her knowledge with the public, each year the Dame Rosalind Savill Memorial Lecture will enable a leading scholar to share new insights into the world of 18th-century French arts and culture.
Dr Xavier Bray, Director, on behalf of all the Trustees and staff at the Wallace Collection