Masterpieces return to Bishop Trevor Rooms at Auckland Palace

Masterpieces return to Bishop Trevor Rooms at Auckland Palace

A remarkable selection of familiar favourites has returned to the Bishop Trevor Rooms at Auckland Palace, now on display from 5 July until early November.

Highlights include The Grosvenor Hunt by George Stubbs and Wooded Landscape with a Milkmaid, Rustic Lovers and a Herdsman by Thomas Gainsborough, painted during his final years in Bath. Also featured is a landscape by Claude Lorrain, widely regarded as the most influential landscape painter of his time.

Joining these celebrated works, all on loan from a private collection, is a newly displayed portrait of an unknown man, attributed to Stubbs early in his career while living in York. This is the first time the portrait has been on public view.

Though not part of a formal exhibition, the paintings are presented in Bishop Trevor’s historic private apartments, offering visitors a uniquely immersive experience at Auckland Palace.

Clare Baron, Head of Exhibitions at The Auckland Project, said: “These familiar favourites are extraordinary works by some of the finest artists, and it’s a privilege to display them in Bishop Auckland. Set within Bishop Trevor’s former private apartments, the paintings offer an intimate encounter with art and history.

“The display is part of a wider, vibrant summer programme at The Auckland Project, as we welcome world-renowned masterpieces back to Auckland Palace. With the Deer Park and gardens at their best, the works of art echo the natural beauty of the season and invite visitors to see the landscape, and our heritage, with fresh eyes.”

This is the third time the collection has been on loan to The Auckland Project. The display will remain open until early November, when the gallery closes for the installation of Christmas at the Palace.

The Bishop Trevor Rooms first opened in 2019 and occupy a suite of apartments built for Richard Trevor, Prince Bishop of Durham from 1752 to 1771. Designed by architect John Carr of York, these elegant rooms - his bedroom, dressing room and study - were the bishop’s private retreat, created to reflect his wealth, taste and love of art.

Trevor was an avid collector, famously acquiring Zurbarán’s Jacob and His Twelve Sons, which still hang in the Long Dining Room at Auckland Palace. His legacy lives on through the careful recreation of these private apartments, where rotating displays feature important loans and furnishings that echo his passions.

The Auckland Project is a regeneration charity working to transform Bishop Auckland into a vibrant cultural destination. Through art, heritage and community engagement, it is creating new opportunities for residents and visitors alike, while celebrating the town’s rich and surprising past.