Britain’s ancestral piles have had to move with the times. Nowadays it’s simply not enough to merely open up the state rooms. Today’s grand old houses have to offer something else to pull in the punters, and for the best of them that means focusing on fine art.
Our stately homes have always boasted a wonderful array of artworks, but they were often hard to find. Today these treasures are properly curated, and, increasingly, they’re supplemented by first class contemporary art. Our country seats are now go-to places to see today’s leading artists, rather than sleepy repositories for rusty armour and dusty antiques.
Seeing modern art in a stately home is far more fun than seeing it in a trendy gallery. The dramatic contrasts between old and new are arresting and intriguing. When these places were built, they were the latest thing, a forum for the leading artists of their own age, so it’s fitting that they should showcase contemporary art, alongside the Old Masters of yesteryear.
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