The Charterhouse, The Great Chamber

The Great Chamber at the Charterhouse began life as one of the country’s grandest Great Chambers in the Tudor mansion that replaced the Carthusian monastery at its Dissolution, was refitted by Blore in the 1840’s and rebuilt by Seeley and Paget after being burnt-out in WWII.

We have effected a further reinvention as a gallery for showing the fine collection of 17th and 18th century portraits of Governors of Sutton’s Charity. The colour scheme of greeny-black dado and frieze with gilded highlights follows that of the fine Tudor fire surround, and the wall hangings of ‘Gri€ffiths Green’ were inspired by Holbein’s Ambassadors.

The inspiration for the redecoration was the plinth of the Tudor fireplace, a greeny-grey, which was extended around Blore’s dado and cornice. The wallhangings are of a silk-linen fabric with a moiree finish.