'It's both old and new — yet you can’t see the join: Nicholas Howard on one of the greatest treasures at the castle where his family have lived for 300 years
Nicholas Howard talks to John Goodall about the magni
Nicholas Howard stands in the Tapestry Drawing Room at Castle Howard, an interior refurnished as part of an ambitious wider renewal of this great Baroque house unveiled this year.
The room, which was reduced to a shell by a destructive fire in 1940, has been rehung with Vanderbank tapestries of The Four Seasons made in 1706. They were specially purchased from the factory in Soho, London, for this space and survived the blaze.
The cornice, dado and fireplace, by contrast, are new creations designed by Francis Terry.
Inset within the overmantel of the new fireplace is The Judgement of Paris by Marco Ricci, who was born in the Veneto, Italy. He came to England with Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, who is credited with the original decoration of the great domed hall for its builder Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle. The overriding majority of his work is still intact.
Marco Ricci's 'The Judgement of Paris', commissioned by Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle.
Ricci also worked for the Earl and this painting was returned to Castle Howard after its sale in 1991. It now felicitously serves to link the new work with the personalities of the original build.
‘When I look at this painting,’ says Howard, ‘it seems to epitomise our intentions for the room: it is at one and the same time both old and new, yet you can’t see the join.’
Castle Howard is open to visitors — see their website for more details.
This feature originally appeared in the September 9, 2026, print edition of Country Life. Click here for more information on how to subscribe.
