Design for the ceiling of the Great Hall at Blenheim
Drawing
ca. 1716 (made)
ca. 1716 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This drawing is a design for the painted ceiling in the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, commissioned by the 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The allegorial design was conceived as a celebration of the Duke's military successes. He is shown as Mars, bent on one knee in front of Britannia (Queen Anne) as Mistress of the World. Fame, accompanied by angels, is depicted above sounding the praises of the Duke. The lower part of the design is filled with military trophies.
Thornhill loosely sketched the design in pencil before finalising the composition with pen and ink and enhancing the darker passages with wash.
Thornhill loosely sketched the design in pencil before finalising the composition with pen and ink and enhancing the darker passages with wash.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | Design for the ceiling of the Great Hall at Blenheim (generic title) |
| Materials and techniques | |
| Brief description | Drawing, Design for the painted ceiling of the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire by Sir James Thornhill, pen and ink with wash over pencil, ca.1715 |
| Physical description | Drawing in pen and ink with wash over pencil. An oval-shaped esign for the ceiling of the Great Hall at Blenheim palace. The Duke, represented as Mars, approaches Britannia (Queen Anne) as mistress of the world. |
| Dimensions |
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| Credit line | Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce |
| Object history | Provenance: Bequeathed by Rev. Alexander Dyce; Formerly in the collection of the Earls Spencer (Lugt 1531). This drawing came to the museum as part of an album containing drawings and engravings chiefly by Thornhill. The album was dismantled and the works remounted. The 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough commissioned Thornhill to decorate the interiors of Blenheim Palace. He submitted an estimate of £1400 (roughly £345,000 today) to paint the great hall, gallery and saloon. This sketch is his second proposal for the design of the hall and is an allegorical celebration of the Duke's military successes in the the War of the Spanish Succession. The British museum holds another drawing for this commission (1949,0411.56) as does the The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Sir Bruce Ingram Collection (63.52.258). By the time Thornhill had completed his work in the hall, the costs had grown so dramatically that the Duchess dismissed him and employed the French painter Louis Laguerre to complete the remaining work in the palace at a much reduced cost. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | This drawing is a design for the painted ceiling in the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire, commissioned by the 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough. The allegorial design was conceived as a celebration of the Duke's military successes. He is shown as Mars, bent on one knee in front of Britannia (Queen Anne) as Mistress of the World. Fame, accompanied by angels, is depicted above sounding the praises of the Duke. The lower part of the design is filled with military trophies. Thornhill loosely sketched the design in pencil before finalising the composition with pen and ink and enhancing the darker passages with wash. |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | DYCE.621 |
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| Record created | February 18, 2009 |
| Record URL |
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