NARRATOR: Flanking the entrance to the gallery you will find sculptures from two émigré craftsmen—among the many great painters, architects, and artisans from the European continent who made their way to London. On the left, you see a masterful depiction of the Duke of Marlborough, famed for fighting the troops of Louis XIV. Here he’s dressed like a hero of the Roman empire, sculpted by the Flemish artist John Michael Rysbrack. On the right, a rendering of the Italian opera singer Francesco Bernardi, or 'il Sinesino,' by French-born Louis-Francois Roubiliac, a member of the thriving community of French Huguenot craftspeople in London. They were talented emigres who contributed to the metropolis's international spirit.

Above the busts are a pair of painted portraits. Their technique and pastoral subjects exemplify a uniquely British style, by native British painters, George Romney and Sir Joshua Reynolds. Both were celebrated members of King George III's newly-established Royal Academy, founded during an era of progressive scholarship and philosophy known as "The Enlightenment."

VOLTAIRE: How I love the English boldness! How I love those who say what they think!

NARRATOR: These are the words of the philosopher Voltaire, a leading Enlightenment figure. In his view, England was “the land of liberty.” Persecuted in France for mocking the royal family, he was exiled to London. There, he was amazed that citizens were free of political reprisals and by the economic success of such a small nation.

VOLTAIRE: Posterity will very probably be surprised to hear that an island whose only produce is a little lead, tin, fuller’s earth, and coarse wool, should become so powerful.

NARRATOR: As the philosopher observed, London blossomed into a liberal-minded cosmopolitan center of commerce and discourse where art and design were at the center. If you wanted to catch up on the hot topics of the day with friends and strangers alike, you would simply head to London’s trendiest new hot spot: the coffee house, an entirely new phenomenon at the time. Much like cafes today, they were magnets for customers to sit and chat. They could even find a newspaper, a new product that gave England an unprecedentedly well-informed public.