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Description: | A conceptual sketch by Thornhill for the 'great west front', the west end of the Upper Hall showing George I and the Hanoverian succession. The king is the seated figure holding out his right arm, lower right, with his eldest grandson, Prince Frederick (then heir presumptive), standing beside him. The grouping, especially of the royal family around the king, was much further developed but retained the pyramid (symbolizing dynastic stability) and figure at the top.
It bears inscriptions in ink by Thornhill and two others in pencil. Down the right-hand side he has listed figures for inclusion in the composition, and some of their ages:
'[Princess] Sophia / Q[ueen of] Prussia/ Pr[ince] Frederick -aet [i.e. aged]-16 / Pr[incess] Anne - aet - 13 /Pr[incess]Amelia -aet-11/Pr[incess] Ele[anora]: Carolina - 9 /Pr[ince] William Augustus - 2'
Then in more summary fashion are his abbreviations 'JTh.' (which a later hand has identified to the left in pencil as 'Sir Jas Thornhill'), and others, so-far inexplicable: 'Mah., Mast., v/r, E. Smy.'. The last may in some cases refer to allegorical figures. Half-way down the left hand edge of the drawing is a partly cut-off pencil inscription possibly in Thornhill's hand, reading '... upper Hall'.
Box Title: Greenwich Box 4 James Thornhill (1).
caption: Drawing for the West Wall of the Painted Hall | Publisher: | "http://collections.rmg.co.uk/" | Rights holder: | "Royal Museums Greenwich" | Subjects: | Thornhill Greenwich drawings James | Source: | Royal Museums Greenwich | Identifier: | http://collections.rmg.co.uk/collections... | Go to resource |
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