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Description: | A preliminary design, close to that executed, inscribed lower left 'Sir James Thornhill', with the circled 'TBL' collector's monogram stamp of Thomas Lowinsky above this in the margin. In the centre, a cartouche of Queen Anne and her husband, Prince George, are supported by Hercules and a female figure representing Justice (her fasces, also a symbol of unity, are below the cartouche). Fame with a wreath and palm flies above. Plenty with a cornucopia is the figure behind, upper left. At lower right, Neptune beckons up attendants with offerings from the sea. At the bottom another male figure casts down others representing Vices, with Juno, crowned and with her peacock, to the left. The concave corners of the central frame are supported by pairs of mermen and mermaids.
Thornill appears to have used the corner spandrels and outer 'balcony' elements of the drawing to show variant treatments. The triple lions of England, on a shield in the top left corner, oppose a trophy of naval arms including an anchor, bottom right. Two variant floral/swag schemes are in the lower left and top right, where there is also a flanking figure. Three bewigged 'modern-dress' figures - one possibly being Wren with a plan and the other an artist, perhaps Thornhill - look over the balcony at the bottom, with two other wigged figures in the vantage to the left. The other two balconies, at the top and right, hold putti and generalized classical figures.
The central design, including the fish-tailed supporters, is close to that executed, with only differences of detail. The executed outer corners in fact all incorporate shields (England, Scotland, Ireland and France), with floral and trophy elements. The main difference is the staffage of the balconies which, as executed, hold personifications of the four continents (Europe, Africa, America, Asia). A label on the back identifies the source as the Lowinsky Collection and the drawing was conserved by G. Roy in 1976.
Box Title: Greenwich Box 4 James Thornhill (2).
caption: Design for the Upper Hall Ceiling | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Rights holder: | "Royal Museums Greenwich" | Subjects: | Thornhill Greenwich drawings James Staffage | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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