Hardwick Hall Exhibitions
Do you have an interest in history, heritage and culture? At Hardwick Hall, attend an exhibition that combines a beautiful setting steeped in history with stunning collections and information.
Material Power: Let the textiles do the talking
Elizabethan England was a material world. Power, identity and virtue were all expressed though what you owned and what you built.
Elizabeth Shrewsbury designed Hardwick Hall so that she could shout about who she was and how far she had come. From the solid stone ES initials on the roof to the magnificent tapestries and textiles she hung inside, everything was a material statement about Bess.
The stories on the wall:
Tapestries and textiles were more than just interior decoration, they were a form of art used to make a statement. Their size, materials and stories they told made them the perfect medium to publicly project the status of the owner.
Discover the symbolism and hidden meaning in the images and stories which don the 400- year-old walls. See if you can spot Bess’ devotion to Penelope throughout the hall, a beacon of virtue dedicated to her husband.
Conservation:
It took 24 years for the 13 Gideon tapestries to go through cleaning and conservation. A whopping £1.7 million was the cost of restoring them back to their full glory.
Find out more about the painstaking work of the specialist cleaning team in Belgium, as well as the people behind the hand stitched repairs at the National Trust’s Conservation Studio.
Taking in the tapestries:
Let the textiles do the talking in the Long Gallery. Uncover new stories in the Gideon tapestries through ‘slow looking’. Accompanied by a magnificent soundscape, this really will be a treat for the senses!
‘A Virtuous Woman’ by Layla Khoo
Drawing inspiration from the themes of female virtue displayed in the Noble Women embroideries, Khoo is now embarking on the creation of a new artwork. Using recycled textiles to complete the piece, visitors are encouraged to express their ideas and notions of virtue and to contemplate who embodies the qualities of a virtuous woman today.
Delving into these reflections, visitors will explore how these virtues and values can be communicated, signalling a collective aspiration for the qualities we wish to see in society.
Please note that visitor participation will only be available on the days listed in the schedule. The level of participation will change as the project evolves.
On days when Layla Khoo is not at Hardwick, the room will be open for visitors to see the progress of the lost tapestry recreation.
Last entry to the hall is at 2.45pm.
