For the first time Sculpture at Beaulieu is opening for an extended summer season until September 24th in 2023. Now is the time to enjoy a more relaxed saunter through the grounds, while children have returned for the start of term at school.
Take a stroll around 300 sculptures by 57 internationally and nationally-acclaimed sculptors in Palace House and throughout its stunning grounds and gardens. With a wide, imaginative range to suit all tastes and budgets, each sculpture in the collection has been placed in the perfect setting.
See the show-stopping three-metre tall horse head Mare which has been created from 7,000 welded components by Gary Boulton, who lives on the Beaulieu Estate. In his sculpture Nurture, the bodies of a parent and child have been made from hammered, welded and polished stainless steel plates.
James Sutton’s huge Sacrifice, in bronze with a copper circle, is displayed on a grass bank close to Beaulieu Abbey, while the majestic figurative stone carvings of award-winning RHS Chelsea exhibitor and Beaulieu’s former sculptor-in-residence Nicolas Moreton can be seen in the Cloister.
Sculpture at Beaulieu, sponsored by luxury chocolatier Charbonnel et Walker and supported by Wilsons Solicitors and Saffery Champness, also displays more affordable sculptures to grace any garden – from steel foxgloves, toadstools, barn owls and hares to coloured glass fish and revolving stained-glass shards.
A ‘patchwork’ giant pear, made from pieces of stainless steel with inlaid glass mosaic, lies beneath the branches of a tree in the grounds. New Forest sculptor Michael Turner, who makes a trail of handmade poppies each year in aid of the Royal British Legion, has also contributed creatures from a Wild Boar to Manta Ray on Wood to the exhibition.
Featured sculptors include Ireland’s Sandra Bell with her elegant cast bronze figures, in contrast with Joanne Risley’s explosive-looking Cor-Ten steel Pollen Bomb, Astropod and Virus. Jill Berelowitz’s high-profile bronze, steel and optical resin commissions have been exhibited at Sotheby’s, Heathrow and RHS Chelsea, while fellow South African Jonty Hurwitz is recognised for his pioneering scientifically-inspired artworks and anamorphic sculptures. His red painted copper and stainless steel Rosso Horse will join the more intimate display inside the ancestral Montagu home of Palace House. Michael Scrimshaw’s incredible sculpture The Big Man has been complimented by His Majesty King Charles.
Lord Montagu, who has worked with David Waghorne and Kate McGovern to curate the exhibition, said: “The gardens of Palace House make an excellent backdrop for sculpture, especially as there is a variety of distinctly different areas, each with its own theme.
“Introducing sculptural elements not only enriches a walk around the gardens but also gives you reason to stop and take in the atmosphere as you admire, or puzzle over, the works on display. Smaller pieces are exhibited inside Palace House, where the period furniture and Victorian décor is enlivened by the addition of these contemporary works.”
Building on the success of two previous exhibitions, all sculptures in the 2023 Sculpture at Beaulieu collection are for sale, ranging from £75 to £75,000. A catalogue of the exhibition collection is available to purchase at Beaulieu’s Visitor Reception.
Sculpture at Beaulieu is included in a ticket to Beaulieu, which also gives access to the National Motor Museum with over 285 vehicles telling the story of motoring, the World of Top Gear, On Screen Cars, Secret Army Exhibition, Little Beaulieu adventure play area, Beaulieu Abbey, Palace House and the grounds and gardens.
For tickets and details visit our Sculpture at Beaulieu page.