The Cosmopolitan Club in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, England, was a

club Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises ...

which existed from 1852 to 1902. It met in rooms at 30 Charles Street, off

Berkeley Square Berkeley Square is a garden square in the West End of London. It is one of the best known of the many squares in London, located in Mayfair in the City of Westminster. It was laid out in the mid 18th century by the architect William Kent ...

, which had previously been the studio of

George Frederic Watts George Frederic Watts (23 February 1817, in London – 1 July 1904) was a British painter and sculptor associated with the Symbolist movement. He said "I paint ideas, not things." Watts became famous in his lifetime for his allegorical work ...

and then of

Henry Wyndham Phillips Henry Wyndham Phillips (1820 – 8 December 1868) was a British artist and portrait painter. Although he produced and exhibited a small number of paintings of scriptural subjects early on in his career, he spent most of his life working as ...

. The membership was limited to 60, and included literary men, artists, civil servants and political figures. Watts joined, as did the writers

Matthew James Higgins Matthew James Higgins (4 December 1810 – 14 August 1868) was a British writer who used the pen name Jacob Omnium, which was the title of his first magazine article. He was born in County Meath, Ireland to a landed family. He owned an estate in ...

(Jacob Omnium),

Francis Turner Palgrave Francis Turner Palgrave (; 28 September 1824 – 24 October 1897) was a British critic, anthologist and poet. Life He was born at Great Yarmouth, the eldest son of Sir Francis Palgrave, the (born Jewish) historian to his wife Elizabeth, daught ...

, Edward Fitzgerald and

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

. Other members included the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

Henry Layard Sir Austen Henry Layard (; 5 March 18175 July 1894) was an English Assyriologist, traveller, cuneiformist, art historian, draughtsman, collector, politician and diplomat. He was born to a mostly English family in Paris and largely raised in It ...

, Sir

Robert Morier Sir Robert Burnett David Morier (31 March 1826 – 16 November 1893) was a British diplomat, who most notably served as the British Ambassador to Russia between 1884 and 1893. Early life Born in Paris, Morier was descended from a family of di ...

James Spedding James Spedding (28 June 1808 – 9 March 1881) was an English author, chiefly known as the editor of the works of Francis Bacon. Life He was born in Cumberland, the younger son of a country squire, and was educated at Bury St Edmunds and Trinity ...

and William Gladstone. The club was "largely renowned for conversation", and is said to be the basis of "The Universe", "the club where the best informed political gossip is heard", in Trollope's novel ''

Phineas Redux ''Phineas Redux'' is a novel by Anthony Trollope, first published in 1873 as a serial in ''The Graphic''. It is the fourth of the " Palliser" series of novels and the sequel to the second book of the series, ''Phineas Finn''. Synopsis His belo ...

''. It met every Sunday and Wednesday evening for the greater part of the year. The meeting room was dominated by a large painting by Watts of a naked damsel in distress. The painting, ''A Story from Boccaccio'', depicted the woman fleeing towards a group of classically dressed figures. It was presented to the nation when the club closed.Tate Gallery Website
The painting is now in the collection of the Tate Gallery. The woman and the man chasing her are being eternally punished, the one for her hard heart and the other killing himself over her. The figures watch the scene as a lesson in love gone wrong.

References

Gentlemen's clubs in London 1852 establishments in England 1902 disestablishments in the United Kingdom Mayfair {{London-stub