Castle Howard celebrates John Vanbrugh with new sculpture

Artist Es Devlin is behind the sculpture at Castle Howard, near Malton, marking 300 years since the death of the stately home’s designer, Sir John Vanbrugh.

Sir John, who has been dubbed the “rockstar of the English Baroque” and the “original starchitect”, had concurrent careers as an architect, playwright, adventurer, soldier, spy, diplomat and garden designer.

Portrait of Sir John Vanbrugh by Sir Godfrey Kneller (Image: National Portrait Gallery London)

Ms Devlin’s sculpture, Library of the Four Winds, will be on show at Castle Howard from July 13 to September 27.

It will be shown in the Temple of the Four Winds, a place originally used for refreshment and reading.

The sculpture is made up of hundreds of books from the personal libraries of Ms Devlin and Sir John.

Benches will surround the Library of the Four Winds at Castle Howard during the summer (Image: Es Devlin)

Es Devlin who has designed the new sculpture at Castle Howard (Image: Victor Picon/Cartier)

Four tables will be at the Temple, inviting visitors to read, draw, talk, eat and listen.

Nicholas and Victoria Howard, who run Castle Howard, said they were “delighted” to celebrate Sir John.

“It was Vanbrugh’s vision that brought Castle Howard to life, and now the house has the honour of celebrating its creator,” they said in a statement.

“There are many ways that audiences can engage with and learn about this larger-than-life character this year, and we are delighted to present this response by Es Devlin which allows her to explore her own affinity to Vanbrugh.

“Her work is an innovative response to Vanbrugh’s vision and continues Castle Howard’s work with contemporary artists.”

Castle Howard (Image: Martin Oates)

Castle Howard will also be hosting the exhibition, Staging the Baroque: Vanbrugh at Castle Howard, designed and curated by architect Roz Barr.

“It explores the moment when an ambitious Vanbrugh encountered the equally ambitious Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle, in the confines of the Kit-Cat Club in London,” a Castle Howard spokesperson said.

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They said the earl wanted to build a” grand country house and Vanbrugh’s bold, theatrical vision inspired him to take a chance on this would-be architect who had never built anything before”. 

“The exhibition chronicles the story of this exciting creation and explores Sir John Vanbrugh’s visionary use of scale, shadow and light in the creation of one of Britain’s most iconic stately homes,” the spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, from May 23, children and families can take part in Playshapes: Castle Constructors, a new interactive play experience inspired by Sir John’s architectural vision.

It aims to give children the chance to make their own creations inspired by Sir John.

For more information, visit www.castlehoward.co.uk