Stowe’s Gothic Library was commissioned by Nugent Buckingham, and built to a design by Sir John Soane between 1805 and 1807. It was initially called the Saxon Room.

Its centrepiece is an astounding 1.4m diameter heraldic painting of the 719 armorial bearings of the Temple, Nugent, Brydges, Chandos and Grenville families. This is signed and dated P. Sonard 1806.

• Large image (4000 pixels wide)

The pronominal arms of Grenville, Temple, Nugent, Brydges and Chandos
(information from Danny D Smith)

Sources

Stowe House, Michael Bevington, 2002.

Notes

• Does anyone have information on P. Sonard, who may have been an heraldic expert as well as a painter?
• The myth of the Grenville Diptych