Fashioned from Paper at Knole by Delicarta

The doors to Knole’s showrooms are now open to a visual feast. Fashioned from Paper at Knole (Sat 7 March – Sun 1 Nov 2020), sees paper artist Denise Watson (aka Delicarta), taking inspiration from Knole’s many portraits, bringing characters to life from 600 years of history with her exquisitely detailed paper costumes.

Opening times

Sat 7 March – Sun 1 Nov 2020
Open 11am – 5pm
Closed Mondays, except Bank Holidays

Prices

Normal admission applies, under 5’s and National Trust members are free. Please see our full list of admission prices on our homepage (family tickets are also available).

About the exhibition

One of the first things you notice when you come to Knole is its wealth of portraits spanning 600 years of history, many by renowned artists such as Van Dyck, Reynolds and Gainsborough. Look a little closer and you’ll find yourself wondering who the subjects of the pictures were, and what their relationship to Knole was. Now for the first time, they’ll be brought to life in Fashioned from Paper at Knole, through eleven lifesize mannequins dressed in exquisitely detailed historic paper costumes, skilfully cut, folded, painted and manipulated by the talented hand of artist Denise Watson.

Lovers of costume, historic house interiors and craft alike will be fascinated to find out what a farthingale is, how 17^th century fashions could be dictated by the powerful royal court, and exactly how versatile paper can be.

Famous characters from Knole’s past are artfully arranged in Knole’s galleries, bedrooms and dressing rooms, including Henry VIII, James II, Thomas Cranmer, Vita Sackville-West, Lady Betty Germain, Mary Curzon, Richard Sackville, Mary of Modena and Huang ya Dong.

Arriving at Knole

Knole can get very busy, especially at the weekends and over Bank Holidays when we frequently have to close the car park when it reaches capacity. Please visit our transport page to find out the best ways to avoid congestion. Entrance to the car park costs £5 (free to members).

Fashioned from Paper Prosecco tours

On select Fridays during the run of the exhibition, you will be able to enjoy a guided tour of the Fashioned from Paper exhibition, and finish with a Prosecco cream tea. Book now in the What's On section of our website.

Accessibility

At Knole, we strive to make your visit as enjoyable as possible, and are pleased to provide disabled parking and toilet facilities, as well as ramps and smooth terrain for easy access. We also offer wheelchairs and a mobility scooter for hire from visitor reception, so you can enjoy venturing further afield.

The exhibition takes place in Knole’s showrooms – three of the eleven mannequins will be situated in The Great Hall, which is on the ground floor and accessible by wheelchair. The remainder of the mannequins are located up a flight of wide wooden stairs, and are not accessible by wheelchair. A detailed, informative film about the exhibition will be available on iPads in the Visitor Centre (near the main entrance), where there will also be displays relating to the making of exhibition.