 On his return he began to assemble a collection of Old Master paintings despite his relatively modest means.His first important acquisition was "A Landscape with Hagar and the Angel" by Claude Lorrain, and this always remained his favourite painting, accompanying him on coach journeys in a specially-designed case.In 1785 Lady Beaumont inherited the lease of 34 Grosvenor Square, which provided the Beaumonts with a much-needed escape from the tedium of Dunmow and introduced them to a more diverse social circle.