Decorative plasterwork is one of the richest traditions of the Jacobean period, and the ornate ceilings of Apethorpe Hall and Charlton House are amongst the most celebrated examples. This period saw a significant transition in styles of plasterwork from the traditional Elizabethan to more Classical motifs.

As World Monuments Fund Britain embarks on a new project at Charlton House—the finest Jacobean house in Greater London, built with Royal connections and boasting fascinating plasterwork ceilings now in need of conservation—we welcome Dr. Claire Gapper, revered historian of plaster interiors, and Philip Gaches, leader in his field of seventeenth-century plasterwork, to talk about the design, use of materials, techniques, and the conservation challenges of Jacobean plasterwork.