The Spectator has a stimulating article about a tapestry which is apparently the sole survivor from a set of nine illustrating the life of St Paul and commissioned in 1534 by King Henry VIII. Lost from the Royal Collection at Windsor in 1770 it turned up again in recent years in Spain. There is now the distinct possibility that, with appropriate National Heritage Memorial Fund money and independent giving, it can be bought back and housed at the Auckland Project in County Durham. The appeal for funds runs until the end of this year and it is possible to donate online.
Tapestries were the ideal expression of power and prestige in the late medieval centuries and in the early modern period, and monarchs such as King Henry spent lavishly on such splendid courtly hangings. Time and chance have caused the loss of many and damage and decay to others. This example has not only survived but is also in remarkably good condition.
The article - which includes a link for individual donations to the appeal - can be seen at We must save this Tudor masterpiece for the nation
1 comment:
What a shame the preliminary sketches of marvellous tapestries like that have presumably not survived, any more than those of the great west window of Old St Pauls likely have, even though the latter was generally considered at the time as the finest example of stained glass in the world and detailed drawings of it must once have existed.
Regards
John R Ramsden
https://highranges.com
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