Marble Hill House

May 20 2022

Image of Marble Hill House

Picture: English Heritage

The great Palladian villa outside London, Marble Hill House, has been closed for years, but is now reopening after a major restoration. The house was home to Henrietta Howard, best known as George II's mistress. Nadia Khomami has the story in The Guardian:

The major reformation by English Heritage, supported by funding from the National Lottery, has reversed decades of disrepair. The charity has reinstated the interior paint scheme that existed at Marble Hill during Howard’s lifetime and conserved the fine collection of early Georgian paintings, including portraits of Howard’s circle.

It has also restored and recreated some of the house’s furnishings including crimson silk wall hangings and an intricate carved peacock motif table (peacocks were the symbol of the ancient Roman goddess Juno, the protector of women). Also on display are a number of Howard’s personal items including a Chinese lacquer screen bearing her family’s crest and her prized collection of paintings by the Italian artist Giovanni Paolo Panini.

There's just something so perfect about Georgian architecture and interior design, isn't there? Look at this dining room, doesn't it make you instantly feel calm and contented?

Details on visiting here.

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