Harewood House, a Return Visit

Austere elegance describes the Palladian facades of Harewood House in West Yorkshire; the upper two versions, from the drive facing north; the lower two are the south façade, from the terrace. Please click on the pictures for full-size versions. BTW, we were told by a docent at the house that its name is pronounced HAIR-wood.

As on my first visit over a dozen years ago, the massive alabaster sculpture of Adam by Jacob Epstein (1880-1959) under the elegant ceiling of Robert Adam's Hall is rather a shock, a dramatic contrast of styles separated by nearly two centuries.

     Above left, bust of Princess Mary, Countess of Harewood (1897-1965), grandmother of the present 8th Earl of Harewood. She was Princess Royal, the only daughter of King George V and Queen Mary, and aunt of the late Queen Elizabeth II. The Old Library is shown at above right.
​        Below, left, Princess Mary's Dressing Room; right, the East Bedroom. 

Above left, a view of the hand-painted Chinese wallpaper in the East Bedroom; it had been hung in a different bedchamber by Chippendale's staff in 1769, but the style fell out of favor subsequently. The paper was removed and stored for almost two centuries. It was rehung when the East bedroom was renovated in 2007-08. Above right, a Chinese-style cabinet from Chippendale's workshop.
     Below, left, a map of the Caribbean Sea, from which the sugar plantations owned by the Lascelles family provided the funds for building and maintaining the estate in Yorkshire through the labor of enslaved Africans. At right, a portrait of Dr. Arthur France MBE, a leader of the Caribbean community in nearby Leeds, by artist Ashley Karrel. Born on the island of Nevis, Dr. France celebrated fifty years of the Leeds West Indian Carnival, part of efforts to "open up conversations about diversity, representation and ultimately equality in society today." An accompanying exhibit showed colorful costumes and events from the Carnival.

Above, left and right, the elaborately draped bed in the State Bedroom, designed by Robert Adam (1728-1792). This room also includes the Chippendale commode, one of his most famous creations. Above it and at the left is a double portrait by Richard Cosway  (1742-1821) of Mrs. Scott and her daughter Henrietta, later Duchess of Portland.

    Above left, the Spanish Library, in which conservation of (right) a portrait of PM Spencer Percival (1762-1812) by artist George Francis Joseph was underway. This room was redecorated in the Victorian era; it formerly was the State Dressing room, now named after its tooled Spanish leather fittings.
    Below, the Library, transformed by the Victorians from the former Saloon, retained its Adam ceilings, as seen below. As usual in these libraries, our temptation to hide and stay behind for a night of stealthy reading was hard to overcome.

     Above, my images of the Library, which is said to be the central living area of the house for family gatherings. 
     Below, left, each room has a tablet on hand to explain the furnishings and décor.  Right, Among the most admired creations of the Chippendale firm are the delicately ornate mirrors.

   Above left, each ceiling is different and relates to other furnishings, particularly to the design of the rugs.
  Below, the Cinnamon Drawing Room. Left, my photo. Right, from Harewood's website showing the Sir Joshua Reynolds portrait of the infamous Lady Worsley, in red, who spent part of her childhood at Harewood.

The Gallery, also used as a ballroom, is another triumph of the pairing of Robert Adam and Thomas Chippendale (1718-1779). I have often marveled at the windows on which the gathered draperies and all other fittings are carved and painted wood with the exception of the textile fringe. You cannot tell even when as close as it is possible to get. Below, right, a corner of the Music Room.

    Above, the Dining Room, adorned with family portraits under another brilliant Adam ceiling.
   Below, a rainy day on the terrace, built in the Victorian era, which contrasts with the Capability Brown landscape beyond.

Below, a brief pause in the drizzle allowed us a turn about the sculpture and cyclamen beds in the gardens.

Below, on the lower level of the house, we got a glimpse of the servants' world. Dozens of footmen, housemaids, kitchen workers and scullery maids were required to run the house, not to mention to outdoor gardeners and farm/stable workers for the dogs and livestock.

    Harewood has been the scene for many films and tv series. Interestingly, it plays itself as the home of the Princess Royal and her husband, in the 2019 feature film Downton Abbey. At a ball there, the Princess confides that she has decided to stay with her husband despite a background of marital problems. Whether or not the view of that marriage was strictly fictional in the movie, I do not know, but no mention of strife was ever made at the house itself on either of my visits.
    Next, we visit Castle Howard, followed by Chatsworth.