Vogue Arabia: Pharaonic Grandeur Meets Palladian Architecture at Stephen Cox's Myth Exhibition
Through the work of sculptor Stephen Cox, Palladian architecture meets the pharaonic grandeur of Egyptian stone. Vogue travels back in time to the majestic Houghton Hall
October 12, 2025
Approaching Houghton Hall is like getting a glimpse of magnificence. A lengthy path through a deer park and open sky leads to the Palladian façade. Built in 1722 by Sir Robert Walpole, first Earl of Orford and first de facto British prime minister, this paragon of grandeur is no stranger to art. Now, that view has gained new gravitational pull, and the conversation has deepened with acclaimed British sculptor Stephen Cox’s stone creations taking their place amid William Kent’s 18th-century interiors and the Norfolk parkland. “The large sarcophagus pieces in rare marbles hold space in front of the house extremely well, while the smaller pieces in porphyry and other marbles work well in the State Rooms,” remarks Lord Cholmondeley, owner of Houghton Hall and a descendant of Sir Robert Walpole, the original master of the property. “The pieces on the marble tables in the Stone Hall are especially effective next to the ancient Roman heads and vases from the Walpole collection,” he adds.
Photography by Pete Huggins © Houghton Hall
