Castle House, Dedham
Encyclopedia
Castle House, Dedham, Essex
was the home of Sir Alfred Munnings
from 1919 till his death in 1959.
Architecturally Castle House contains a mixture of Tudor
and Georgian
elements.
Shortly after his death his widow established The Violet Munnings Trust Fund in 1962 to establish and run an Art Museum in Castle House, in accordance with Munnings' wish that his pictures and estate be left to the Nation. In 1965 Castle House Trust was formed whereby the house itself, surrounding land, all Sir Alfred Munnings' paintings still in the possession of Lady Munnings, and further amounts of money and investments were made over to the Trust to form the basis of a Museum of his works.
The original bequest to the trust formed the basis of the largest collection of Sir Alfred's works to be found worldwide. The Museum is personalised through the retention of the Munnings' original furniture and artefacts in his old home, it also contains examples from his full life span as an artist. The trust has purchased further paintings by Munnings since the original bequest. The display in the Museum varies over time as paintings are both loaned to the trust and lent to other exhibitions.
The studios where some of Munnings' most famous works were painted are preserved and open to the public.
Dedham, Essex
Dedham is a village within the borough of Colchester in northeast Essex, England, situated on the River Stour and on the border of Essex and Suffolk...
was the home of Sir Alfred Munnings
Alfred Munnings
Sir Alfred James Munnings KCVO, PRA was known as one of England's finest painters of horses, and as an outspoken enemy of Modernism...
from 1919 till his death in 1959.
Architecturally Castle House contains a mixture of Tudor
Tudor style architecture
The Tudor architectural style is the final development of medieval architecture during the Tudor period and even beyond, for conservative college patrons...
and Georgian
Georgian architecture
Georgian architecture is the name given in most English-speaking countries to the set of architectural styles current between 1720 and 1840. It is eponymous for the first four British monarchs of the House of Hanover—George I of Great Britain, George II of Great Britain, George III of the United...
elements.
Shortly after his death his widow established The Violet Munnings Trust Fund in 1962 to establish and run an Art Museum in Castle House, in accordance with Munnings' wish that his pictures and estate be left to the Nation. In 1965 Castle House Trust was formed whereby the house itself, surrounding land, all Sir Alfred Munnings' paintings still in the possession of Lady Munnings, and further amounts of money and investments were made over to the Trust to form the basis of a Museum of his works.
Sir Alfred Munnings Art Museum
The Museum now housed at Castle House is currently open to the public on certain days from Easter Sunday to the first Sunday in October.The original bequest to the trust formed the basis of the largest collection of Sir Alfred's works to be found worldwide. The Museum is personalised through the retention of the Munnings' original furniture and artefacts in his old home, it also contains examples from his full life span as an artist. The trust has purchased further paintings by Munnings since the original bequest. The display in the Museum varies over time as paintings are both loaned to the trust and lent to other exhibitions.
The studios where some of Munnings' most famous works were painted are preserved and open to the public.