ATM: Art, Tiles, Mosaics... an adventure in creativity

Castle Howard Visited

Brideshead Revisited (made in 1981) is one of those made-for-British-TV masterpieces that will never be equaled, in my opinion. While I enjoyed the 2008 movie version, I was not as captivated emotionally by the characters as I was in the TV version. Having never read the book, I have no idea which version was truer to the author's intention, but I know what I like!

However, the one "character" that still stood up over the span of 27 years was the building that "played" Brideshead in both versions—Castle Howard. Castle Howard is located a few miles north of the city of York (where my Dad was born) in Northern England. It is not a castle in the strict sense of the word—it is not a fortress and there are no turrets to shoot bows and arrows. Built for the 3rd Earl of Carlisle around the turn of the 18th Century, it is one of England's famous stately homes.

On April 25th I attended the lecture at the Getty Villa, Bringing It All Back Home: Grand Tour Collections at Castle Howard in the 18th Century, with the curator of the art collections, Christopher Ridgway.

I was all set for a rather boring, informational lecture, but as I had previously seen the three Roman portrait busts on display at the Villa (which I wrote about previously), I was interested to learn about the rest of the collection.

When the lecture ended more than an hour later I was disappointed—I wanted it to continue for another hour. I was delighted, captivated and intrigued! As well as discussing the fine art collection and the travels of the Howard family (and Rover, the dog) we were treated to an exploration of other facets of maintaining a stately home such as remodeling the toilets and managing the beef herd (and managing those unruly herds of tourists, too!).

As I was leaving the Getty I was ready to drive straight to the airport and hop on a plane to Yorkshire. Castle Howard is now definitely on my short list of places to see in the near future.

In the days subsequent to the lecture I have planned the trip in my head. I am going to stay in that small hotel near Paddington Station (where KJ and I spent a couple of nights on our way to Greece two years ago) and "do" as many museums and galleries in London as I can manage in a week: The V&A, British Museum, National Gallery, the Tates. Then I will travel to Sussex to visit Fishbourne Palace where some wonderful Roman mosaics have been uncovered. Then travel north (all this by train, of course) to visit Castle Howard.

When I still had my corporate job I was planning on Egypt as my next overseas stop, but now I have developed this need to be in England. So Egypt may have to wait, especially as I have no idea how I will raise the funds for any kind of travel at this point. But I know if I focus on this it WILL happen!