Kenilworth Castle, Warwickshire
James Ward
1840
Throughout its history, Kenilworth Castle served as both a fortress and a palace, as a site of siege and a source of artistic inspiration. The castle is a palimpsest of construction projects, the most extensive of which were ordered by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester (whose portrait hangs on the opposite wall), in preparation for Queen Elizabeth I’s visit in 1575. The castle of Dudley’s creation would become an icon of Elizabethan court ceremony and a source of continued fascination for romantic artists such as James Ward. In this work, Ward envisions Kenilworth as a living ruin; despite its dilapidated state, it is integrated into a productive landscape.
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · Image: Yale Center for British Art, Public domain · Text: Yale Center for British Art, CC0