Deysbrook House decorations

In 1847 Alfred Stevens decorated three reception rooms for the Blundell family on the ground floor of their new home, Deysbrook House, on the outskirts of Liverpool. He covered two of the three ceilings with Pompeian ornament, including allegorical figures in roundels on the coves. On the walls he painted nine oblong panels, enclosing figures personifying the Virtues and the Arts. The decoration was fully described and illustrated by Mr. D. S. MacColl in the Architectural Review for December, 1911. In 1939 the House belonged to the Corporation of Liverpool and was used as a hospital. Early in the war it was purchased by the War Office and after the war, in view of the possible demolition of the building, the Corporation obtained permission from the War Office to remove and retain the decorations. The work was carried out in the Spring of 1948 with the Art Fund contributing £2,000 towards its cost. The decorations are now stored in the Walker Art Gallery, with a view to incorporating them ultimately in an Alfred Stevens Room.