NARRATOR: You’re looking at a terracotta bust of Bishop John Fisher–more about his dramatic story in a moment). The sculptor, Pietro Torregiano was Italian, and studied alongside Michelangelo in Florence. King Henry VIII probably invited Torregiano to England, where he joined many émigré artists–all enriching the nation's melting pot of style and skill. In the sixteenth century, London had both wealth and a unique perspective on classical tradition: a win-win for the arts. The Met's Curator of British Decorative Arts, Wolf Burchard:

WOLF BURCHARD: It's a really extraordinary work of art: an object that epitomizes the very complex relationship between insular Britain and continental Europe.

NARRATOR: Torregiano was, shall we say, motivated to leave Florence, having broken Michelangelo’s nose in a “disagreement.” (Italy’s loss, England’s gain.)

WOLF BURCHARD: I think that tension between the fragility of the highly delicate object and the brutality of the man is rather interesting.

NARRATOR: But who was Bishop Fisher, and what does he have to do with the history of decorative arts in Britain? Consider it’s 1533, and King Henry VIII has called Parliament into session.

Against the dictates of the powerful Roman Catholic Church, the king wants the unthinkable: a divorce from the Queen. Why? She's accused of being unable to produce an heir. Bishop Fisher opposes the King and his supporters.:

BISHOP JOHN FISHER: Blessed Jesus, what sort of conscience do these “learned fellows” have, who so grievously mutilate and distort the sayings of so weighty an author in a matter of such importance, They do not seem to care how narrowly they restrict papal authority as long as they can secure the divorce.

NARRATOR: In breach of the Roman Catholic Church, Henry VIII overrides Bishop Fisher’s position and creates a new Church of England. It’s a monumental turning point in the history of Britain and its relationship with mainland Europe. And what did it mean for art? Look around you: Since the royals ordained destruction of Catholic artwork, suddenly a new generation of artisans could craft suitable replacements.

NARRATOR: On the left wall, the elaborately carved oak paneling you see is an example of home-grown Tudor craftsmanship. Although many luxurious objects at the time were imported to England from Europe, this paneling was actually produced in the Northeast county of Norfolk. Look closely and you'll see carved caryatids, pilasters, and Corinthian capitals. These draw heavily on styles popularized in the Netherlands, which, in turn, drew heavily from the classical architecture of ancient Rome.