The Great Dining Room: Chatsworth House

Following yesterday’s post of Charles Cavendish’s portrait, by Sir Anthony van Dyck, we thought that we would share the painting in situ at Chatsworth House, in Derbyshire.

We love the ruby red walls in this stunning setting. Red often appears to be the choice for dining room walls in many stately homes across the country, probably due to a theory that the colour increases the appetite. It also provides a delicious backdrop, particularly for the rich palettes of period portraits, as the combination always seems to make the paintings visually ‘pop’!

Personally, we feel that if we were to dine in this particular room, our appetites would take second place in favour of feasting our eyes upon the glorious portraits lining the walls. With works by van Dyck, Mytens and Hals on view, even the most decadent dessert would have to work hard for our attention.

If you could dine in any stately home, where would you choose to accept an invitation from?