On 29 June The Vanity of Small Differences, an exhibition of six huge tapestries by the celebrated contemporary artist Grayson Perry, will open at Salisbury Cathedral.

Each of the 2m x 4m tapestries, inspired by William Hogarth’s The Rake’s Progress, charts a stage in the ‘class journey’ made by young Tim Rakewell (a wry reference to Tom Rakewell, Hogarth’s protagonist) and includes many of the characters, incidents and objects Grayson Perry encountered on journeys through Sunderland, Tunbridge Wells and The Cotswolds when filming a series for Channel 4.

Cleverly and unflinchingly, Perry exposes layers of unconscious tastes or biases in the scenes and individuals he portrays. References to classical art and religious painting also inform the work, bringing, in some cases, a reverence to an otherwise mundane scene or adding an extra layer of meaning.

The tapestries have toured extensively over the last few years, but this is the first time that they will have been seen in an ecclesiastical setting, which opens up a great opportunity for the Cathedral to create a dialogue around the subject matter.

No additional booking required, the exhibition is included in standard Cathedral entry. Please see the Visit Us section of the website for more information about visiting Salisbury Cathedral.

The Vanity of Small Differences is jointly owned by the Arts Council Collection, Southbank Centre, London and the British Council Collection. Gift of the artist and Victoria Miro Gallery, with the support of Channel 4 Television, the Art Fund and Sfumato Foundation with additional support from Alix Partners.

The UK tour of the tapestries is supported by the Art Fund and the Sfumato Foundation.