Classics at Hardwick Hall

A visit to see the tapestries and embroideries at Bess of Hardwick’s wonderful Hall in Derbyshire was a complete success! And there were so many Classical touches in the decor of the Hall - here are just a few:

Odysseus featured prominently in a series of works, slightly blurred as the rooms have be kept carefully dark and no flash photography is allowed.

Here Odysseus gets ready for ploughing the sea shore, a pretence of madness designed to keep him from joining his friends at the Trojan War.

In the final scene, Odysseus and Penelope enjoy a rapturous reunion after twenty years’ apart:

I particularly enjoyed a series of painted panels showing prominent people from the ancient world. The Emperor Vespasian was immediately recognizable despite being about six feet above my head!

My favourite Roman of all time, Cicero, was portrayed with a nose supposedly showing the “chickpea” end that got the family their name. (The Latin for chickpea is cicer)

I haven’t seen this spelling of Sappho’s name before:

Throughout the Hall, I found the Classical influence burning bright.