Exhibition
Bill Viola
12 Jun 2015 – 28 Oct 2015
Auckland Castle
Bishop Auckland, United Kingdom
Bus: Bishop Auckland has regular bus connections around the region. Go North East run The Castles Express from Newcastle to Bishop Auckland. For more info visit https://www.aucklandproject.org/visit/getting-here/
Train: Darlington to Bishop Auckland-Approximately 26min. Durham to Bishop Auckland-Approximately 58min. Newcastle to Bishop Auckland- Approximately 1hr 14m. York to Bishop Auckland-Approximately 1hr 12m. London to Bishop Auckland- Approximately 3hr 19m. - See more at: https://www.aucklandproject.org/visit/getting-here/
Once home to some of the most powerful and influential men in history, the Prince Bishops of Durham, Auckland Castle is now a place where you can meet these men, with their feet up and guard down.
Spend time rummaging through their private journals and papers, take a seat at their dining table in front of Francisco de Zurbarán’s portraits of Jacob and His Twelve Sons and even eavesdrop on the bishops as they consider the hot topics of the day.
There’s grandeur in the recently conserved, 18th century State Rooms, originally designed by renowned English architect James Wyatt; intimacy in the Bishops’ private apartments (now open for the first time) and peace in one of the largest private chapels in Europe, which is still used by the Bishop of Durham today.
Inside Auckland Castle you will also find the Bishop Trevor Gallery, a temporary exhibition space named after Richard Trevor (Bishop of Durham from 1752 to 1771) who bought Zurbarán’s paintings in 1756.
The gallery houses a programme of special exhibitions of fine art, with a focus on European painting from the medieval period to the present day, including masterpieces on loan from private collections and institutions.
Auckland Castle is the centrepiece of The Auckland Project visitor destination, built on over a thousand years of art, culture and faith, and tells the stories of the Prince Bishops who governed the North of England and were involved in mnay key events throughout history.