Stucco

Stucco decoration in the shape of a cherub's head with wings from King Henry VIII's palace of Nonsuch in Surrey. The stuccoes were created by a team of specialists including English craftsman William Kendall and foreigner, Giles Geringe. The technical and artistic expertise was provided by Nicholas Bellin of Modena who had worked for Francis I at Fontainebleau in France.

Nonsuch Palace, near Ewell in Surrey, was built as a magnificent hunting lodge between 1538 and 1547. It was designed to celebrate the Tudor dynasty, the thirtieth anniversary of Henry’s reign and the birth of Edward, the long awaited heir. Henry spent £24,500 on the project, and he employed specialist craftsmen to produce the sumptuous external decoration. Nonsuch played a key role in the development of Tudor architecture and the emergence of the renaissance style in England. The timber-framed outer court was covered with stucco panels framed by plaques of carved and gilded slate. The decorative scheme covered 2,055 square metres (about 2,460 square yards) and depicted the Roman emperors, gods and goddesses of classical mythology, scenes from the life of Hercules, and the liberal arts and virtues.