Marble Hill House, a Palladian villa near Richmond, was built in the 18th century by George II. It reflects the architectural and artistic influences of the time and includes Georgian furniture and artwork. The LazenBequest of Chinoiserie art is also housed there. The villa is known for its symmetry and perspective, with three identically sized stories and symmetrically shaped windows. The house sits amidst 66 acres of open countryside and is owned by English Heritage. Visitors can purchase admission tickets online or on site.
Marble Hill House is a historic Palladian villa located near Richmond on the west side of London. It was built during the first half of the 18th century by George II and reflects the architectural and artistic influences popular at the time. Visitors can visit this house seasonally by purchasing an admission ticket online or on site at the house.
The house was originally intended as a retreat for Henrietta Howard, who was at that time the noted mistress of George II. Construction took place between 1724 and 1729, while George II was still the Prince of Wales. The interior of the house, although extensively rebuilt using original materials, has been fitted with new renovations in some areas. It contains a mixture of exquisite Georgian furniture and artwork, including a painting of the young Countess of Suffolk, Miss Howard herself.
Notable among the collections housed within Marble Hill House is that of the LazenBequest of Chinoiserie art. These pieces reflect the influence Chinese art had on European artists during the latter part of the 17th century. The artists used an asymmetry in the design to depict a mythical China, relying heavily on imagery of nature and a lacquer technique popularized by early Chinese pieces.
This once private residence is known architecturally as the Villa Palladiana. The style of Marble Hill House is intended to reflect themes popularized by 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio. Palladio based his work on the symmetry and perspective present in early Greek and Roman temples. Palladian themed homes are built with these values in mind and create a design uniformity that can be recognized immediately upon seeing one of these structures.
The structure features three identically sized stories stacked on top of each other to create a flat, white brick exterior facade. A series of symmetrically shaped windows runs the length of each floor of the house, although the size and geometry of the windows are unique to each section of the villa. Matching arched doorways welcome visitors to the front of the house and usher them into a verdant rear lawn overlooking part of the River Thames. This project was the result of a collaboration between the architect Roger Morris and Henry Herbert, the Earl of Pembroke at the time.
Marble Hill House sits amidst 66 acres of open, rolling countryside in stark and startling contrast to the busy and bustling city that lies next door. The wide, flat expanse of open lawn that extends in front of the house remains a popular venue for outdoor concerts and public events. Both the house and the surrounding grounds, known as Marble Hill Park, have been owned by English Heritage, a division of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, since 1986.
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