Stephen Jones

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[Stephen Jones] I had an art history book,

and there was one color picture

which was of Fragonard s The Swing,

and I completely fell in love with it.

The slight joke in this painting was the fact

that he s looking straight up her skirt.

[Stephen laughs]

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As well as being total eye candy,

I think the Wallace Collection has got a poignancy

because most of the work in here is essentially optimistic.

And that s something that I try and capture in my work,

but at the same time,

there s always a sense of balance in the universe.

And that something which is a little bit sad

because it s too sugary, there s an element

which is a little triste.

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My first visit to The Wallace Collection

was a long time ago.

We had to come here when we were students at Saint Martin s,

and we d draw the fabulous paintings.

Most people stayed about 10 minutes,

and then went to the coffee bar or the pub,

but I actually stayed for the rest of my life.

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I see new things every time.

For example, I just look at one of my favorite paintings,

or some of the moldings on the ceilings.

I look at those C-scrolls and see how they re worked,

see the interplay of light on the gilding,

and that s new every time I look at it,

every five seconds it s new, every time it s inspirational.

It s quite a weird place for me to be.

It s such an onslaught of information.

I always feel slightly humbled

by the fact that I can t take it all in.

[Stephen laughs]

I want it all.

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The humor, the insolence, the coquettishness,

all those things that I want to put into a hat,

and to make that hat very lively and fresh

is something which is so contemporary about these paintings.

I mean it is my aesthetic.

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If I could run out with three things, what would I take?

Well it would have to be a painting, The Swing.

It would have to be some armor,

one of the extraordinary fish-inspired helmets,

and probably a color from the Sèvres porcelain,

either the extraordinary pink or the turquoise,

or the ultramarine.

Depends which case I could break through easily.

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