The Saloon
The Saloon holds the Mortlake Tapestries on its walls; they are the most important works of art in the Abbey. They are woven from the cartoons painted by Raphael, that are now on display in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Blocked medieval windows and main roof trusses from the 14th century still exist in the Saloon, although the windows are hidden behind the resplendent Mortlake Tapestries. The impressive plaster ceiling is the finest in the house. The ‘beams’ were formed on lathing, ‘woven’ like a basket, so the plaster is not too thick, and most of the enrichment was carried out by craftsmen lying on their backs on scaffolding in situ. Prideaux’s coat of arms is in the centre.
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