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The official highlights from the Devonshire Collection @chatsworthofficial Email for enquiries about the collection and Bespoke Tours👇

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“The note or voice of these animals is between the chirping of birds,, and the cry of four-footed beasts;”

‘Flutter-mouse’ parallels the Old High German word ‘fledarmūs’ formed from ‘fledarōn’ (to flutter) and ‘mūs’(mouse). In 1731, Eleazar Albin included the flutter-mouse in his work, A History of Birds.

Eleazar Albin’s ‘A History of Birds’ is a beautiful publication issued in its original form with 306 engravings. The work is notable for representing one of the first substantial series of coloured plates devoted to birds in Britain. Albin was a professional artist and a naturalist. He produced the illustrations himself with the assistance of his daughter Elizabeth whom had been trained by Albin to draw and paint directly from life. His books were issued uncoloured but could be hand coloured by Albin and his daughter on request.

Albin was incredibly proud that his drawings were made from life. He emphasised the importance placed on direct observation rather than working from description as many other naturalists did at the time.

#halloween #books #gothic #samhain #library by @chatsworthart

This portrait of Arthur Goodwin by Sir Anthony van Dyck from circa 1639 was acquired by Sir Robert Walpole, 1st Earl of Orford, in 1725. It was displayed at Houghton Hall, the Walpole family’s ancestral home, until 1730 when Sir Robert gave it to William Cavendish, 3rd Duke of Devonshire. It has since been displayed at Chatsworth House, the Cavendish family’s ancestral home. Sir Robert served as Britain’s first Prime Minister from 1721 to 1742. William was one of Sir Robert’s most influential supporters. He served as Lord Privy Seal, Lord Steward, and Lord Lieutenant of Ireland during Sir Robert’s premiership. In 1748, William’s daughter, Lady Rachel Cavendish, married Sir Robert’s nephew, Horatio Walpole, 2nd Baron Walpole.
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This portrait was previously owned by the Wharton family before it was acquired by Sir Robert Walpole. It was commissioned by Philip Wharton, 4th Baron Wharton, and depicts his father-in-law, Arthur Goodwin, the father of Jane Wharton (née Goodwin). Philip famously commissioned Sir Anthony van Dyck to paint a series of Wharton family portraits in the 1630s. Philip also commissioned portraits by Sir Peter Lely, Joan Carlile and Mary Beale. Philip’s eldest son, Thomas Wharton, 1st Marquess of Wharton, allegedly had an affair with Dorothy Walpole, the sister of Sir Robert Walpole. Thomas’ eldest son, Philip Wharton, 1st Duke of Wharton, sold the entire Wharton Collection, including this portrait of Arthur Goodwin, to Sir Robert Walpole in 1725.
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📸: Elizabeth Farewell-Okoye
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#AnthonyVanDyck #ChatsworthHouse #PortraitPaintings #Chatsworth by @chatsworthart

"This is the saddest letter that ever my pen did write"

This year marks the 360th Anniversary of the end of The Great Plague, 1666.

This remarkable letter gives us a rare insight into the plague in Eyam. It is dated 1 September 1666, by Rev. William Mompesson at the height of Eyam's epidemic. It is actually in the hand of John Walker (vicar at Hathersage), dictated to him by Mompesson across Eyam moor, as the village was famously in quarantine to prevent the spread of the black death; it was Mompesson's idea to keep the disease contained.

Despite Mompesson's unpopularity, the inhabitants of Eyam agreed and the village completely isolated itself. The villagers survived because money was left soaking in vinegar at boundary stones outside Eyam, in exchange for supplies left by surrounding villages.

#archives #eyam #greatplague #1666 #books #letters #chatsworth #dukesofdevonshire #thegreatplague #bookstagram #archive #archival #Devonshirecollection #art by @chatsworthart

Wax seals were considered one's signature in solid form. Symbolising authenticity, authority and name. They often depicted a family crest, emblem or associated figure used by the sender. This figure could be in the form of an animal as seen here amongst some of our seals.

Seals were used to bind and fasten letters, thereby helping to maintain and demonstrate that a letter had not yet been opened, and was secure upon reaching its intended recipient.
They can be incredibly large as seen in the second seal shown here, which has a diameter of around 17cm!

Our Archive volunteers do a wonderful job cleaning and repackaging a variety of documents and their accompanying seals. The oldest seal that they have come across dates to 1325!

#waxseals #Medieval #archives #letterwriting #History #heritage #archive #chatsworth #dukesofdevonshire #books by @chatsworthart

Next time you visit the ante-library see if you can spot this, the 6th Duke of Devonshire's monogram, on the spine of any books. It features the letters WS
(for his forenames William Spencer) over the letter D (for Devonshire).

The 6th Duke had a particular love of books, which is reflected in his correspondence. In a letter to his sister, he writes that his step-mother, Elizabeth, Dowager Duchess of Devonshire, "staid till one o’clock looking at my books with the greatest interest, which I own is one way to my heart and one which few women are in the habit of taking.”

#books #bookstagram #library #19thcentury #binding #bookspine #gilding #Chatsworth #dukesofdevonshire by @chatsworthart

Inside a small case nestled in a corner of Chatsworth's Sculpture Gallery is a collection of tools.

Unsurprisingly, these tools are often missed by visitors; however, they once belonged to the great Italian sculptor, Antonio Canova (1757-1822), and may even have been used to form the celebrated sculptures by which they are eclipsed.

Alongside them is a handwritten notice: “Strumenti da modellare de’ quali di serviva Canova Roma - 31 December 1822," and translates as 'The tools used by Canova, Rome'.

The collection is made up of a quill, a marble working chisel, and three implements for moulding clay -all used to develop finished carvings and sculpture.

After his first visit to the sculptor’s studio in 1819, the 6th Duke of Devonshire had declared Canova "the most talented, the most simple, and the most noble-minded of mankind."

Within four years, the duke had acquired the sculptor’s carvings of Endymion, a seated Madame Mere, Petrarch’s Laura, and Hebe, alongside a bust of Madame Mere, all of which form part of the neoclassical sculpture collection preserved in Chatsworth's Sculpture Gallery today.

#sculpture #canova #chatsworth #sculptor #dukesofdevonshire #history by @chatsworthart

Portrait of Caroline Lamb (1785-1828), daughter of the 3rd Earl of Bessborough.

Lady Caroline Lamb (1785–1828), “the cleverest most agreeable, absurd, amiable, perplexing, dangerous fascinating little being that lives now or ought to have lived 2000 years ago.” – Lord Byron.

This portrait of Caroline Lamb is an oil on canvas by the British artist Thomas Phillips, created in 1813. Known for her wild character and her writing, she is most famously remembered for her affair with Lord Byron.

Caro, as she was affectionately known, is shown dressed as a page boy, bearing a platter of fruit.

“What a prude I think Phillips,” Caro remarked of the artist. At the time, Phillips was a new and emerging portrait painter who had already painted the Prince of Wales.

Caro’s doting cousin, the sixth Duke of Devonshire, commissioned the painting and paid forty guineas for its completion on 2 May 1814.

The painting had a short public life, exhibited in Phillips’s studio next to a portrait of a robed Byron. The outcome, assumed by many, was that the portraits formed a single picture.

Caroline’s portrait is exhibited in this year’s exhibition at Chatsworth House. House of Stories: Tales from the Chatsworth Library, 2026.

#chatsworthart #Chatsworth #Devonshirecollection #carolinelamb #arthistory #thomasphillips #lordbyron #literature #chatsworthhouse #19thcentury by @chatsworthart

Tucked away in our Enchanted Garden this Christmas is this absolute jewel of a painting, A Concert of Birds, attributed to Jan van Kessel the Younger.

Painted in the third quarter of the 17th century, the scene includes many different birds, from those common to Europe – the owl, heron, and the swan – and many more exotic species, such as parrots, toucans and an ostrich.

The composition is after a design by Jan Brueghel the Elder, first painted c. 1606. The original is now lost, but numerous copies from his studio still exist. The Brueghel’s were an extensive family of painters, spanning many generations. Jan van Kessel the Younger was the great-grandson of Jan Brueghel the Elder and is known to have produced his own versions of his ancestor’s works. However, rather than working in his native Antwerp, van Kessel spent much of his mature career in Spain, where he was court painter to the King and Queen.

The idea of a Concert of Birds was popular in the 17th century, and other compositions are known. Four works on this theme by Frans Snyders are now in the Museo del Prado, demonstrating their popularity among the Spanish nobility, and perhaps hinting at an early provenance for this work.

The theme has been read with many different meanings: as an allusion to the sense of hearing; to order in nature, and thus, more broadly, to the political and social order enjoyed by the owners of these paintings; or a sense of wisdom prevailing, read through the figure of the owl, who has been seen as directing the concert.

The painting is only small – smaller than an A4 piece of paper – and painted on copper. Copper was sometimes used as a substitute for canvas or panel as its smoother surface allowed for the greater rendering of detail. It is also a more durable material, that will not rot, crack or tear.
See if you can spot it during your visit!

@chatsworthofficial #chatsworth #devonshirecollection #arthistory #arthistory #chatsworthatchristmas #enchantedgarden #janvanbrueghel #janvankessel #dutcharthistory #concertofbirds by @chatsworthart

This pair of caskets are attributed to the famous French furniture-maker André-Charles Boulle (1642-1732). Once described as ‘the most skilled craftsman in his profession’, Boulle worked for wealthy clients in late 17th century France, including the Grand Dauphin and Louis XIV himself. He is famous for popularising a style of furniture which used brass and tortoiseshell marquetry to create incredibly intricate designs. Indeed, he became so well known that this style of marquetry bears his name today, and is known as Boulle marquetry or Boulle-work furniture.

These caskets were designed to hold medals, and were likely acquired by the 2nd Duke of Devonshire (1772-1729). The Duke was a keen collector of medals and carved gems, and would have used caskets like these to display them. His interest was so marked, that he chose to have himself painted alongside his collection in a portrait by Charles Jervas (swipe to view). This portrait shows a casket, very similar to the pair here, standing in the background.

Although normally displayed closed, the caskets are still in working order. Ingeniously, the stands have built-in, extendable rests on which the fronts will set when opened. They are, however, empty and the collection of medals and gems stored in a more secure location!

#devonshirecollection #chatsworth #chatsworthart #furniture #furniturehistory #andrecharlesboulle #boulle #boullefurniture #17thcentury #18thcentury by @chatsworthart

These coronation chairs of George III and Queen Charlotte were designed in the Chippendale Director manner. They were carved by Katherine Naish – a female chair maker and a well-known supplier for the Royal Family – and upholstered by William Vile and John Cobb. The chairs were finished and ready for use at the Coronation in 1761 and were later given to Chatsworth as a Royal Perquisite in 1766.

The chairs are framed in a wood gilded in a bright gold leaf and carved with the initials ‘CR’ and ‘GR’, representing Queen Charlotte and George III. On one side of the of the chair, next to where the initials are carved, sits a lion and on the opposite side is a unicorn; these animals taken from the Royal coat of arms. The upholstery is decorated with roses and tulips, which are woven in pink thread. Dark silver leaves surround the flowers as well as some fruit.

#chatsworth #devonshirecollection #furniturehistory #royalhistory #coronation #georgeiii #queencharlotte #arthistory by @chatsworthart

Trompe l’oeil, whilst maintaining popularity to this day, is a technique that was largely developed during the high Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Jan van der Vaardt was one of few artists that practiced this optical illusion in England, after leaving mainland Europe. Whilst he was also known for his portraits and landscapes, he created the Trompe l’Oeil Violin that hangs in Chatsworth House, a firm visitor favourite since Horace Walpole first described it in the 1760s.

The violin is an illusory object, painted in oil, which contrasts the real brass peg on which the violin appears to hang. In 1733, after surviving a fire at Devonshire House – its original home – the glued canvas was embedded within a functioning door, the panelling of which matches the shadowed background of the painting. This adds to the illusion through the juxtaposition of 2D and 3D elements.

Modern viewers are restricted to one end of the State Music Room, the limited perspective and motion being crucial to maintain the deception.

@chatsworthofficial #chatsworth #derbyshire #statelyhome #historichouse #englishcountryhouse #treasurehouse #devonshirecollection #painting #trompeloeil #illusion #vandervaart #vandervaardt by @chatsworthart

Among @chatsworthofficial’s treasures are the magnificent murals that adorn ceilings and walls, transforming entire rooms into immersive works of art. They were commissioned by the 1st Duke of Devonshire from Antonio Verrio, Louis Laguerre and James Thornhill, masters of grand Baroque painting decoration. Unlike the Italian tradition of fresco (painted upon wet/'fresco' plaster), these murals are made in oil on dry plaster. Their sweeping scenes unfold with mythological tales, allegories of power and heavenly skies that seem to open above visitors’ heads. References to Roman history, Greek mythology and even religious events intertwine throughout. The murals merge seamlessly with the surrounding interiors, often employing trompe l’oeil and illusionistic effects – as in the Chapel, where painted and sculpted statues flank the altarpiece of the Doubting Thomas, blurring the line between paint and stone.

#chatsworthart #art #artcollection #chatsworth #chatsworthhouse #devonshirecollection #dukeofdevonshire #17thcentury #chatsworthcollection #arthistory #murals #religion #mythology #stone #sculpture by @chatsworthart