Dunham Massey is a country house near Manchester dating from the seventeenth century. George Booth, 2nd Earl of Warrington, was only 19 when he inherited the estate from his father in 1694.
In order to bring his family’s financial woes to an end, he entered into a marriage of convenience with the fabulously wealthy Mary Oldbury in 1702. The estate was extensively remodelled using her money, giving it its present-day form. Once the rebuilding work was complete, a number of ‘portraits’ of Dunham Massey were produced. Together with the earlier version made by Van Diest, they were set in identical frames and hung in the Great Gallery.
In 1976, a descendant left the house, estate and collection to the National Trust – one of the largest bequests in the organisation’s history.
From this house you will see the following works in the Mauritshuis:
- Adriaen van Diest - Bird’s-eye View from the South(c.1697)
