A series of tapestries created by contemporary artist Sir Grayson Perry has gone on display at Pitzhanger Manor, with the exhibition open to the public until 8 December 2024.
The Vanity Of Small Differences has been on tour since 2013, but has now arrived at the very place where A Rake’s Progress, William Hogarth’s series of paintings which inspired Perry’s work, were purchased and displayed.
The eight satirical paintings depicted the rags to riches tale of Tom Rakewell in 18th Century London, with the series originally being bought by Sir John Soanes’ wife 222 years ago to be put on display at Pitzhanger.
Perry’s take on the story – which comes to a tragic and dark conclusion – takes the form of six huge tapestries and tells the tale of Tim Rakewell, who works his way up from humble beginnings and a troubled home in Sunderland through his life in Tunbridge Wells and later The Cotswolds, as he becomes a successful, ultra-wealthy businessman.
But like Hogarth’s protagonist things don’t end well for Tim, with his own demise mirroring that of Rake’s Progress.
While the tapestries have a colourful history, having been inspired by some of the characters, objects and incidents Perry encountered in the 2012 TV series All In The Best Possible Taste with Grayson Perry, seeing them up close offers a whole different experience.
This is not an exhibition to be rushed, as the artworks are so filled with detail that they require careful scrutiny. Whether it’s the minute details of our hero’s home life after he makes his fortune (right down to the labels on the kitchen equipment) or the familiar shop names in the strip mall which surround him as he comes to his tragic end, there’s so much to look at here that you may need to look at each tapestry several times to take it all in.
Between the visual feast on display Perry tackles social ideas of gender, identity, social status, religion and sexuality, while such autobiographical themes of the artist’s childhood, his family and his cross-dressing also feature.
Ealing residents can visit the exhibition for free on Sundays from 10am to noon.
