Editing John Vanbrugh (section)

====Castle Howard====
{{Main|Castle Howard}}
[[File:Castle Howard, Yorkshire.jpg|thumb|Vanbrugh's south facade of [[Castle Howard]]]]
[[Charles Howard, 3rd Earl of Carlisle]], a fellow member of the [[Kit-Cat Club]], commissioned Vanbrugh in 1699 to design his [[mansion]],<ref name="Castle-Howard-Construction" /> often described as England's first truly baroque building. The baroque style at Castle Howard is the most European that Vanbrugh ever used.

[[File:Temple of Four Winds.JPG|thumb|left|Temple of the Four Winds]]
Castle Howard, with its immense corridors in segmental [[colonnade]]s leading from the main entrance block to the flanking wings, its centre crowned by a great domed tower complete with [[cupola]], is very much in the school of classic European baroque. It combined aspects of design that had only appeared occasionally, if at all, in English architecture: [[John Webb (architect)|John Webb's]] Greenwich Palace, Wren's unexecuted design for Greenwich, which like Castle Howard was dominated by a domed centre block, and of course Talman's Chatsworth. A possible inspiration for Castle Howard was also [[Vaux-le-Vicomte]] in France.

The interiors are extremely dramatic, the Great Hall rising 80&nbsp;feet (24&nbsp;m) into the cupola. [[Scagliola]], and [[Corinthian order|Corinthian columns]] abound, and galleries linked by soaring arches give the impression of an opera stage-set&nbsp;– doubtless the intention of the architect.

Castle Howard was acclaimed a success. This fantastical building, unparalleled in England, with its facades and roofs decorated by pilasters, statuary, and flowing ornamental carving, ensured that baroque became an overnight success. While the greater part of Castle Howard was inhabited and completed by 1709, the finishing touches were to continue for much of Vanbrugh's lifetime. The west wing was finally completed after Vanbrugh's death, to an altered design.<ref name="Castle-Howard-Construction" /> The acclaim of the work at Castle Howard led to Vanbrugh's most famous commission, architect for Blenheim Palace.

Regarding the commission, William Talman, an already established architect and [[Office of Works#Comptroller of the King's Works|Comptroller of the King's Works]] had initially been the architect of choice, charging more than the Lord had thought reasonable. Vanbrugh's charm, and Talman's lack thereof, may have been enough to convince the patron to change his architect. However, it remains unknown how Vanbrugh, totally untrained and inexperienced, persuaded Earl Carlisle to grant the responsibility of architect to him. The design process began in the summer of 1699, before the end of the year the model for Castle Howard was under construction, stone was being quarried and foundations discussed.

It appears that the early drawings of the design for Castle Howard were made by [[Nicholas Hawksmoor]], and in 1700 he was formally introduced by Vanbrugh into the project as draughtsman and clerk of works. Designs varied and evolved until 1702, the pair working together.<ref name="Downes"/>
{{Clear}}