Castle Howard presents Staging the Baroque: Vanbrugh at Castle Howard, an exhibition which celebrates its creator, the architect Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726). The exhibition, which opens tomorrow 26th March 2026, the 300th anniversary of Vanbrugh’s death, will see letters by Vanbrugh on public display for the first time.
Hailed as ‘the Rockstar of the English Baroque’ and ‘the original starchitect’, Vanbrugh had concurrent careers as an architect, playwright, adventurer, soldier, spy, diplomat and garden designer. Castle Howard is celebrating his legacy with exhibitions, installations, workshops, talks and performances across the tercentenary year.
Staging the Baroque 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. 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. Vanbrugh enlisted the help of Nicholas Hawksmoor, and the collaboration gave rise to the masterpiece which is Castle Howard.
Designed and curated by architect Roz Barr, 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 exhibition conveys Vanbrugh’s incredible career as a playwright and architect and his relationship with the third Earl of Carlisle in creating Castle Howard.
The first room contains a series of items relating to the development of the house, including the 3rd Earl of Carlisle’s accounts and letters from Vanbrugh which are going on public display for the first time. Also on show are 18th century editions of Vanbrugh’s plays and original engravings of Castle Howard from Vitruvius Britannicus. Visitors then see a large-scale model of the Castle Howard landscape, the first time the house and grounds have been recreated in this way. The final space contains a new film by Thomas Adank about the House and architectural elements across the Castle Howard Estate. The exhibition is part of a House tour which includes the recently renovated Tapestry Drawing Room and Long Gallery.
Roz Barr said:
“This exhibition celebrates the life and works of John Vanbrugh and the beauty and significance of his work at Castle Howard. The house is possibly his most poetic and enchanting creation, but the building shows not just his skills in creating a Baroque masterpiece but also the intimate relationship between his architecture and the surrounding landscape. I hope the exhibition will inspire visitors to explore the grounds and appreciate the impact of the house, with its grand elevations and imposing dome, against a backdrop of trees, water, sculpture, and other buildings such as his Temple of the Four Winds and more distant monuments.”
In June, internationally renowned artist and designer Es Devlin will unveil a new installation in Vanbrugh’s Temple of the Four Winds, presenting an innovative response to Vanbrugh’s vision and continuing Castle Howard’s work with contemporary artists. From 23rd May, young visitors can take part in Playshapes: Castle Constructors, a new interactive play experience for children and families inspired by Vanbrugh’s architectural vision. Play blocks representing architectural elements of Castle Howard have been designed by Yorkshire-based artist Pippa Hale and supplied by Timberplay, giving young visitors the unique chance to make their own creations inspired by Vanbrugh.
Nicholas and Victoria Howard said:
“It was Vanbrugh’s vision that brought Castle Howard to life, and now the House has the honour of celebrating its creator. 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 responses by Roz Barr and Es Devlin which allow them to explore their own affinity to Vanbrugh.”
Staging the Baroque: Vanbrugh at Castle Howard, 26th March – 31st October 2026, Castle Howard
Exhibition entry is included with the price of a House ticket. Adult tickets from £28.
Roz Barr and Sir Charles Saumarez Smith have co-curated the exhibition Vanbrugh: The Drama of Architecture at the Sir John Soane’s Museum, London, on until 28th June 2026, a complementary exhibition to Staging the Baroque.
