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English, Devon, Broadhembury
Paneling, about 1619, oak, other woods.
Gift of Preston Pope Satterwhite in memory of Hattie Bishop Speed 1944.31

This remarkable room was originally built for Grange, the country house of Sir Thomas Drewe, which was built around 1619. The house still stands, but the paneling in the parlor was removed in the 1920s and later installed in the Speed in 1944. The main door in ornately carved with scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, an ancient Roman narrative poem that describes the creation and history of the world. The images carved on the door were copied from a German manuscript published in 1563 and illustrated by Virgil Solis. The other carved elements in the room were similarly inspired by Continental European illustrations of Classical subjects, most notably the work of Dutch artist Hans Vredeman de Vries.