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Smartify – your personal digital guide to the Bearsted Art Collection at Upton House

Smartify app being used on  the phone to scan and find out more about the artwork, Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
Visitors using the Smartify app to identify art in the Picture Gallery, Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire | © Helen Cable

Seasoned and first-time visitors alike now have the chance to delve deeper and discover more about the treasured art and porcelain collection at Upton. Using the Smartify app, at the tap of a screen you can unlock the stories of Upton, the Bearsteds, and one of the most significant collections of European art assembled in the 20th century.

Smartify is an app that provides audio tours and collection information for many of the world’s most popular museums. During your visit, you can use the app on your phone to scan and identify artworks to access additional information about the paintings, porcelain and tapestries in the Bearsted Collection.

During the audio tour, you will hear a mixture of viewpoints, including an introduction from our Property Curator, stories from our oral history project and insights into the collection from our passionate and knowledgeable volunteers.

You can continue the experience back at home by saving your favourite objects to your own digital gallery.

Smartify is available at Upton and can be downloaded for free on Wi-Fi at the property.

This is the very first time that a National Trust managed property is using Smartify, so we are keen to get your feedback. Let us know how you enjoy using the app by filling out a short survey here. Alternatively, you can drop us a line at uptonhouse@nationaltrsut.org.uk as well as sharing with us on social media, (Facebook and Instagram) @UptonhouseNT.

Phone app Smartify, scanning an object to identify and give more information, Upton House and Gardens, Warwickshire
Download the Smartify app to enjoy learning more about the collection | © National Trust Images/James Dobson

How to use Smartify

  1. Download the app. We recommend downloading the app before you visit, or you can do so at the property using our free Wi-Fi.
  2. Open the app and select the scan option
  3. Hold your phone up to your chosen artwork.
  4. This ‘scans’ the work and provides extra information.
  5. Additionally, plug in your headphones and listen to the audio tour for a better uninterrupted audio experience.

To find out more about Smartify please visit their website here.

The Adoration of the Magi (Triptych) and Christ before Pilate (Verso) attributed to Hieronymus Bosch being packed up to be sent out on loan and replaced by the Dyrham Triptych (The Nativity by Night with Shepherds, The Adoration of the Magi and The Flight into Egypt) attributed to Jan van Dornicke.

Find out more about the house and collection

Find out more about Lord Bearted and his passion for collecting art and porcelain. Upton is an art gallery in a country house and houses some of the finest pieces including works by Bosch, El Greco and Canaletto.

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