Fireplace and statues inside the central block at Seaton Delaval Hall, Northumberland. ©National Trust Images/Dennis Gilbert

The country houses designed by Sir John Vanbrugh (1664-1726) are some of the most original and memorable works of architecture in the story of British architecture. Called ‘The Shakespeare of Architects’ by Sir John Soane, Vanbrugh designed evocative and unforgettable palaces including Castle Howard and Blenheim Palace, and his other country houses such as the NT’s Seaton Delaval are also unforgettable. Vanbrugh’s personal life was perhaps even more remarkable than his flamboyant architectural creations. He began his career as a wine merchant and then traveled to India in the service of the East India Company. He served as a marine officer and was later arrested and imprisoned in France on suspicion of being a spy. He was also a celebrity playwright before turning his mind to architecture. In honor of the 300th anniversary of Vanburgh’s death in 1726, architectural historian Jeremy Musson will lecture about Vanbrugh’s life and illustrate and describe the architect’s iconic houses. He will reflect on Vanbrugh’s influence on architects through the 18-and-19th century, and up until the present day.

Jeremy Musson is a leading authority on the English country house. He is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and sits on a number of boards including the Country House Foundation. He was awarded an MPhil in Renaissance History at the Warburg Institute, University of London, in 1989 and was Architectural Editor of Country Life from 1995-2007. He has written and edited hundreds of articles on historic country houses and has presented 14 programmes on BBC 2. He lectures and supervises academic programs for Cambridge University, London University and Buckingham University, and the Attingham Summer School. Among his books include Robert Adam: Country House Design, Decoration & the Art of Elegance (2017), The Country House: Past, Present, Future: Great Houses of the British Isles (2018), and Romantics and Classics: Style in the English Country House (Rizzoli, 2021).

 
 
Zoom Live
Tuesday, June 2 | 2:00 p.m. (ET)

$15 members; $25 non-members and guests