STUDENTS from a North Yorkshire college will be bringing the paintings to life at a stately home this summer.

The students have been working on detailed replicas of the costumes from the portraits at Castle Howard as part of their BA Costume degree.

Hannah Jones, operations manager at Castle Howard, said: "The work of the students is excellent. Not only have they captured the colour and style of the original costumes, their attention to detail is amazing.

"All the costumes shown have the correct undergarments for the period they were from, and the fabrics for the soldier's costume have been dyed using contemporary dyes."

The costumes will be displayed next to the paintings where the students took their inspiration from.

Nine students, of the Yorkshire Coast College, Scarborough, are involved in the project, and they chose a variety of costumes and subjects. This ranges from the rich red and gold of Henry VIII's outfit in his portrait by the studio of Holbein, to a soldier's armour as depicted in the Massacre Of The Innocents.

Also included are replicas of costumes inspired by portraits of the Howard family themselves, such as the plush silk dresses of the ninth countess, Rosalind Howard, and her sister.

The costumes will be on display until August 31, between 11am and 4pm.

More details can be found at www.castlehoward.com or by phoning 01653 648333.