Create your own art masterpieces!
If you visit a grand house looked after by English Heritage, not only will you get to see a fascinating historic building, it might also contain a collection of amazing artwork. In fact, we look after around 1,300 paintings! On this page, you can find out more about some of the pictures you can see at our sites and the stories behind them, then download paint-by-numbers templates to create your very own versions. Scroll down to get started!
Amazing artwork
Our historic houses are filled with incredible paintings created by some of the most talented artists in history. From epic battle scenes and huge wall paintings to pictures of pets and tiny, pocket-sized portraits, these come in all shapes, styles and sizes.
Most of the paintings date back to a time before photography was invented, and were bought by people who wanted to decorate their homes with pictures of people, places, events, animals or stories. Not all the art on display was created by famous artists though. In our country houses, you can also find paintings by the people who lived there, providing a window into their lives.
The labours of Hercules
Perched on top of a hill, Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire was originally built in the 11th century. But it was recreated in the 1600s as a luxurious home by Sir Charles Cavendish and his son William. It included a magnificent riding school, a fountain garden and a wall walk with amazing views. Inside is just as impressive, with carved marble fireplaces, panelling covered with gold paint, and splendid art painted on the walls and ceilings.
The ceiling in the Servants’ Hall features huge paintings that depict the 12 Labours of Hercules. In this painting, Hercules has been sent to the Greek island of Crete, where an angry bull was destroying buildings. Hercules wrestled the bull and took him away.
Push the boat out
Ranger’s House in London is an elegant Georgian villa. It is home to the Wernher Collection, a world-class art collection amassed by the 19th-century businessman Sir Julius Wernher. More than 700 works of art are displayed in the house, including medieval sculptures, shiny enamels, ornate jewellery, and art by famous Renaissance and Dutch painters.
One of the paintings at Ranger’s House is this picture of lots of boats, which dates from around 1658, meaning it’s more than 350 years old! The title of the painting explains what’s happening: A Yacht at Anchor Firing a Salute. It’s by an artist called Willem van de Velde II, who was born in Leiden in the Netherlands. He followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a painter. It was while working in his father’s studio that he developed the skill of carefully drawing ships. He later moved to England, where he painted sea battles for King Charles II.
Kenwood portrait
This portrait is of Dido Belle, who lived from around 1761 to 1804 and was the daughter of the Royal Navy officer Sir John Lindsay and an enslaved African woman called Maria Belle. Unusually for a mixed-race woman at this time, Dido was raised by a wealthy British family. She lived in the household of her great-uncle, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, at his home in Bloomsbury Square and, from 1780, at Kenwood in London.
This brilliant picture of Dido was commissioned by English Heritage in 2021. It was painted by Jamaican artist Mikéla Henry-Lowe and is one of the most modern paintings in English Heritage’s collection. You can see it at Kenwood, where Dido lived.
Make your own masterpieces!
Now you’ve read about some of the brilliant paintings you can see at English Heritage sites, have a go at making your own versions of them! We’ve created paint-by-numbers templates of each of the three paintings above for you to colour in. Simply click on the button below to download the templates and then print them out.
Each template is number coded to guide you on where use each colour. If you’re feeling bold, change our suggested colour scheme for your own choices to really make the masterpiece your own. You can use whatever you like to colour them in – colouring pencils, paint or felt-tip pens. Before you know it, you’ll have a gallery of mini masterpieces to display on your bedroom wall!
Download your templates!
