Collection Gems - Historic Houses

Bridgeman Images is delighted to represent the collections of many of the most important historic houses in the UK.

 

Beautiful from the outside, historic houses are often just as impressive on the inside. They house some of the greatest art collections worldwide. Read on to see curated highlights from the houses we represent:

 

Northumberland Estates, Northumberland

 

 

The private collection of the Duke of Northumberland has been accumulated over four centuries. It is rooted in the personal interests and patronages of the Percy family. It incorporates the work of significant artists of the Italian Renaissance, including pieces by Palma Vecchio and Andrea del Sarto. Alongside this, the collection included the intricate portraiture of Sir Anthony van Dyck and William Dobson. The Northumberland collection is open to the public at Alnwick Castle, Northumberland and Syon House, London.

 

 

The Buccleuch Collections

 

The Buccleuch Living Heritage Trust houses one of the richest private art collections in the world. This organisation was established in 2010 to encourage the advancement of artistic, historic, architectural and aesthetic educational pursuits. These efforts resulted in a charity which unifies art and historic buildings. The collection comprises paintings by an assortment of renowned artists, from El Greco to Thomas Gainsborough. The paintings, furniture, porcelain, silver, miniatures, sculptures and tapestries were assembled by the Buccleuch family over 600 years. 

 

Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire

 

 

The history of Belvoir Castle dates back to the 11^th century. It is the ancestral home of the Duke of Rutland. John, 3rd Duke of Rutland, collected Old Masters paintings. His growing collection was continued by his ancestors, who acquired a variety of works by artists including Sir Joshua Reynolds and George Stubbs. Amongst the collection is artworks by Hans Holbein the Younger and David Teniers the Younger.
 

 

Parham House, West Sussex

 

 

The Pearson family dedicated over forty years to decorating Parham house with a carefully curated collection of furniture, paintings, books, textiles and clocks. They additionally chose a selection of interesting objects which had once been held at Parham or had a historical association with the house, such as Stuart embroidered pictures and a royal saddle. These items are complemented by the large array of portraits, in which the sitters often display a wealth of needlework detail in their impressive clothing. 

 

 

Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire

 

 

The remarkable Blenheim Palace collection is one of the most valuable art collections in Europe. It features a roster of impressive paintings by Joshua Reynolds, Anthony van Dyck, and John Singer Sargent. The palace itself, built between 1705-1733, was originally a gift from Queen Anne to John Churchill following his victory at the 1704 Battle of Blenheim.

 

 

Burghley House, Lincolnshire

 

Burghley House was built in 1556 by Sir William Cecil, who later became Lord Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I. It remains as one of the finest examples of Elizabethan design in the UK. This house is embellished by a brilliant collection of art; encapsulating the works of wood carvers Grindling Gibbons and Jonathan Maine, the plasterer Edward Martin and the painters Louis Laguerre and Antonio Verrio. Alongside these gems, the panelled Billiard Room houses family portraits and the Marquetry Room contained a display of 16th century Flemish pictures and 17th century furniture. There is also a fascinating collection of 17th century Japanese porcelain. 
 

 

Chatsworth House, Derbyshire

 

 

Chatsworth House, the Derbyshire home of the Cavendish family, the Dukes of Devonshire, is known as ‘The Palace of the Peak’. It has frequently been chosen as Britain’s favourite country house. It is home to one of the greatest private art collections in the world, containing treasures acquired by the Cavendish family from the 16^th century onwards. The Devonshire Collection incorporates portraits of the family alongside views of the house, garden and park throughout the ages. There are also depictions of pastoral English scenes and trips to exotic lands. The artists include Sir Anthony van Dyke, Pompeo Batoni, Samuel Palmer and John Singer Sargent. The Chatsworth collection maps the development of the aristocratic tastes of the last few centuries. 

 

 

Goodwood House, West Sussex

 

 

Goodwood House is home to the Glorious Goodwood car racing festival. This grand country house also features many fine portraits of the previous inhabitants by artists such as George Romney and Anthony van Dyke. This extraordinary collection also comprises paintings of racehorses, a subject synonymous with the Goodwood name
 

 

 

 

Holkham Hall, Norfolk

 

 

Holkham Hall is one of the great neo-Palladian houses of England. It holds the art collection of the Earls of Leicester. Thomas William Coke, the First Earl of Leicester, was an extravagant and careful collector who spent six years on a Grand Tour of Europe in the early 18th century. Of the hundreds of items brought back to Holkham, the most celebrated is Sangallo’s copy of Michelangelo’s ‘Battle of Cascina’, the only visual record of this lost painting.

 

 

Houghton Hall, Norfolk

 

 

The magnificent Palladian Houghton Hall in Norfolk is the seat of the Marquess of Cholmondeley. Houghton was once home to the British Prime Minister Sir Robert Walpole. Although many of his collected pieces were sold to Catherine the Great of Russia in 1779 to settle debts, there are many remarkable paintings remaining at Houghton. The masterpieces range from Samson and Delilah by Artemisia Gentileschi, to works by John Singer Sargent and the contemporary Australian painter Sir Sidney Nolan.

 

Wilton House, Wiltshire

 

 

Wilton House stands on the site of a 9^th century nunnery founded by King Alfred. It was subsequently owned by a 12^th century Benedictine abbey, which was surrendered during the Dissolution of the monasteries, to King Henry VIII, who gave them to William Herbert around 1542. The House has remained in the family since that time and is now the home of William Herbert the 18th Earl of Pembroke. This 450-year-old building has attracted visitors from around the world through its history, architecture, art treasures and acres of garden and parkland. The selection of paintings features works by Sir Anthony van Dyck and his studio. 

 

 

Weston Park, Shropshire

 

 

The art collection at Weston Park represents the collecting interests of several generations of the Newport and Bridgeman families, encompassing almost every type of fine and decorative art. The house is decorated with the works of renowned artists such as Holbein the Younger and Sir Joshua Reynolds. In the Tapestry Room, the set of French Gobelin tapestries commissioned for Weston by Sir Henry Bridgeman in the 1760’s feature the Love of the Gods and are one of only six sets of this type that were made for British patrons. Alongside this, the collection of ceramics incorporates Chinese and Japanese porcelain.
 

 

Discover more Historic Houses represented by Bridgeman images:

Arundel Castle, West Sussex
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
Portland Collection, Welbeck, Nottinghamshire

 

Get in touch with our team, we are always happy to help with your research at no obligation or additional cost. 

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