Hampton Court ... Illustrated with forty-three drawings by Herbert ...

HENRY'S TAPESTRIES 165
in the inventory of Cromwell's goods as hanging in the
Paradise-room. The points chiefly noticeable in all
are the merits of the designs and the formality of the
execution. The stiffness of the figures is characteristic
of Flemish work, and there is an ignoring of
perspective, which may be intentional, and is not
always unpleasing.
In the Horn-room, which opens from the " Great
Watching-chamber," a room originally used for the
serving of dishes to the high table in the hall, with
which it also communicates, are other pieces of
tapestry — the story of Æneas, and an allegorical
piece of which it is difficult to identify the subject.
In the great hall itself are copies of the Triumph
ofFate, and two subjects from the history of Hercules
— the taming of the steeds of Diomed, and his death.
The tapestries under the gallery are valuable as illustrations
of contemporary costume, and in some cases
the faces are beautifully worked, reminding one of
the best work on fifteenth century vestments that
have come down to us. In date they stand between
those of the Great Watching-chamber and the story
of Abraham in the hall. Of the greatest treasure
of all, the story of Abraham, only eight of the ten
original designs now remain at Hampton Court.
These have been hung in the great hall for the last
half-century. They are believed to have been designed
by Bernhard van Orlay,1 court-painter to the
1 There is a picture by him, " Venusmourning over Adonis,"in the
Hampton Court Gallery, No. 576.