The Terracotta Roundels with Roman Caesars at the Hampton Court and the Tuscan Tradition of Architectural Decoration

Today the walls of Hampton Court Palace are decorated with ten terracotta roundels with portraits of so-called ‘caesars’. The building of Hampton Court began in 1514, the terracotta medallions were created in the 1520-s by an English workshop led by a Florentine sculptor Giovanni da Maiano. He introduced the Tuscan type of architectural decoration (‘antique bust in a medallion’) into English architecture. The goal of this paper is to consider, how Tuscan tradition of architectural decoration transformed in English context. The research follows the evolution of this type of decoration in Tuscany, we examine examples of Italian artworks that could influence Giovanni da Maiano’s work in England. Hampton Court roundels are compared to their Italian analogues, certain conclusions can be drawn from this comparison. Stylistically and in terms of formal qualities terracotta medallions at Hampton Court are rooted in the Tuscan tradition of depicting antique personages. The Influence of English context is reflected in the unique synthesis of the ‘fashionable’ Italian decoration and English medieval architecture.