This fully illustrated catalogue features new works and writings by Sir Grayson Perry, accompanying an important exhibition at the Wallace Collection, celebrating the artist's 65th birthday.

The publication accompanies a major exhibition created and curated by Grayson Perry at the Wallace Collection. The renowned portrait painting of Madame de Pompadour (1759) by François Boucher has captivated Perry, as have many other creations, including exquisite miniature portraits and an early 18th-century bronze of Mezzetin playing his guitar with soul.

Perry has created a fictional personality, Shirley Smith, who believes she is the rightful heir to the treasures of Hertford House—and indeed, to the entire Wallace Collection. Through this identity, a series of new artworks have been created, inspired by pieces from the Collection, intended to decorate a fictional family home, with ancestral portraits, Old Masters, and priceless antiques.

"Delusions of Grandeur" presents this imaginary world and explores playful themes such as the significance of home and how it creates a sense of security, the gender-based division of decor, perfection versus authenticity, and the refined and beautiful contrast with the brutality and grandeur of masculinity. Through Shirley Smith's story, the transformative and healing power of art is demonstrated.

This edition showcases Perry’s new works across a variety of media: ceramics, sculptures, textiles, and works on paper, complementing the diversity and variety of objects found in the Collection.

This significant exhibition, marking Perry’s 65th birthday, is also a contemplative and introspective process, offering a refined analysis of the nature of creation and art collection.