Every year, the Rijksmuseum organizes the Daniel Marot Lecture, which provides a podium for a national or international expert in the field of interior history and applied art. On Tuesday, 16 September 2025, 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, which contains an important collection of Dutch and Flemish paintings.

In November 2019 Woburn Abbey closed to visitors to undergo a generational program 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 seventeenth 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 flavor of what can be expected when the Abbey reopens to the public.

See the Rijksmuseum website for more information and tickets.