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 for Vogue Arabia
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
Artlyst: Stephen Cox: Atavistic Sculptures Adorn Houghton Hall Norfolk – Sue Hubbard
Sue Hubbard reviews Stephen Cox’s “Myth” at Houghton Hall, Norfolk for Artlyst. It is an ambitious exhibition spanning 40 years of the British sculptor’s work. Set amid the opulent Palladian interiors and parklands of Sir Robert Walpole’s estate, Cox’s monumental stone sculptures in alabaster, porphyry, and granite create a powerful dialogue between ancient myth, material transformation, and 18th-century grandeur.
By Sue Hubbard
May 7, 2025
Houghton Hall, in Norfolk, was commissioned by the first British Prime Minister, Sir Robert Walpole. The interiors of this Palladian house are sumptuous, with opulent ceilings designed by the architect William Kent. Although much of its art collection has been sold off for tax purposes, the state rooms still pack a punch with their lavish tapestries, chandeliers, four-poster beds and gilded furniture that formed the backdrop to many a political meeting and glittering royal reception, reflecting the power and prestige of the Walpole family.
Photography by Pete Huggins © Houghton Hall
STEPHEN COX: MYTH
A major exhibition by the acclaimed British sculptor, Stephen Cox: Myth will be presented across the park, gardens and interiors of Houghton Hall from 4 May to 28 September.
Stephen Cox: Myth
Houghton Hall
4 May to 28 September 2025
A major exhibition, Stephen Cox: Myth is presented across the park, gardens and interiors of Houghton Hall, running from 4 May to 28 September.
The exhibition represents the largest and most comprehensive group of work the artist has ever shown. Spanning over 40 years, it includes work conceived and produced all over the world from India to Egypt, Italy and the UK.
More than 20 sculptures in marble and stone have been placed in the landscape, while smaller works are installed in the State Rooms on the first floor of the house, where William Kent’s exuberant decorative scheme has hardly changed since it was created in the early 18th century. A modern gallery space in the South wing of the house houses a group of works on paper together with a large marble and porphyry sculpture, Shrine, which was created for the celebrated Encounters exhibition at the National Gallery in 2000.
Photography by Pete Huggins © Houghton Hall