The oak cornice and the oak doors of this gallery, especially the
beautiful architraves of the doors, are among the finest specimens
anywhere existing of Wren's decorative art, designed by him and carried
out under the superintendence of Gibbons. Relating to this work we find
the following item in the accounts for the years 1691 to 1696:
"To Grinling Gibbons, carver, for worke done in the new Gallery
building, in the King's great and Little Closet, in three Roomes
under the King's apartment, in the King's Gallery, and other places
about the said Pallace--£839 0_s._ 4_d._"
In other respects the appearance of this room has been much altered; for
the oak panelling, which appears originally to have entirely covered its
walls was removed, it would seem, in the reign of George I. or of George
II.; when also the ceiling, which was originally plain, was painted as
we see it now.
Chimney-Piece, Map and Dial.
At the same time a new chimney-piece was inserted. Part of the original
over-mantel, however, of the time of William III., still remains,
especially a very curious map of the north-west of Europe, showing the
names of various towns, especially in the north of France, the
Netherlands, and the British Isles. Relating to it we have discovered,
in the course of our researches among the old parchment rolls in the
Record Office, the following entry, dating from about, the year 1694:
"To Rob^{t} Norden for his paines in drawing a map for the
chimney-piece and for attending the painters--£5."
Round the circumference of the map are the points of the compass; and an
old =dial-hand= or pointer, still remains, which was actuated by an iron
rod connected with a vane, still existing above the roof. This enabled
King William to know from which quarter the wind was blowing; whether,
therefore, it was safe for him, with his asthma, to venture out of
doors, or whether the wind was favourable for wafting him away from this
hated climate to his own dearly-loved country of Holland.
It was this dial which so greatly interested Peter the Great, when he
privately visited William III. in this palace in 1698, being admitted by
a back door. "It was afterwards known," says Macaulay, but unfortunately
without giving his authority, "that he took no notice of the fine
pictures, with which the palace was adorned. But over the chimney in
the royal sitting-room was a plate which, by an ingenious machinery,
indicated the direction of the wind; and with this plate he was in
raptures."
[Illustration: THE KING'S GALLERY.]
This old dial is fixed in a square carved and gilt frame, probably the
one referred to in the following item in the old accounts of the years
1691-96:
"To Rene Cousins gilder for a large frame carved and gilt with
burnished gold--£10."
The outer frame of deal wood surrounding this gilt one is, on the other
hand, of a later date, evidently designed by Kent, as was also the
decorated panel above it, itself surmounted by a pediment, richly
carved, doubtless by men trained in the school of Wren and Gibbons.
In the centre of this fine "Kentian" panel is a medallion picture of the
"Virgin and Child," painted in fresco, of the school of Raphael, and
inscribed behind with the date, 1583.
All this over-mantel was, in the time of George I., painted over white
with enrichments of gold. It so remained until last winter, when the
thick coats of filthy paint were cleaned off. It has been thought best
to leave the deal wood in its natural state, unpainted, only applying a
little stain to tone it into harmony with the colour of the surrounding
oak carvings.
Although this carved over-mantel is an addition, and as far as the
pediment is concerned, very out of place so close to the cornice, yet it
is very beautiful and of much interest as being one of the finest
examples of decorative design executed in England during the reigns of
the first two Georges. In it we trace the influence of the lighter
French taste of Louis XV., which Kent had no doubt become acquainted
with when travelling abroad. The marble chimney-piece below, on the
other hand, is in that architect's regular massive, heavy style.
* * * * *
Almost at once, after this gallery was finished by Wren, it became the
receptacle of some of the finest works of art in the Royal collection.
Among the manuscripts in the British Museum is the original list of
William III.'s pictures, placed "in Kensington House, 1697"--some
seventy pieces being mentioned as then hanging on its walls.
It was in the year following that Peter the Great was in England; when,
besides his private interview with the King, mentioned above, he was a
spectator at a ball given in this same gallery on the birthday of
Princess Anne, not publicly, however, but peeping through one of the
doors, in a closet prepared for him on purpose.
In this room, King William, in the month of March, 1702, after his
accident, and a few days before his death, "took several turns" to
exercise himself; but soon becoming fatigued, he reclined upon a couch
and fell asleep, "but soon to awake in a shivering fit, which was the
beginning of a fever, attended with serious symptoms, from which he
never recovered."
Painting of the Ceiling and Wainscot of the King's Gallery.
This gallery was also a favourite sitting-room of Queen Anne and her
husband, and of George I. It was by command of the latter monarch that
Kent, about the year 1724, undertook the painting of the ceiling, his
charge for which, with similar work in "the little closets," amounted to
_£_850. Although the richness of the colouring and gilding give it a
gorgeous appearance, neither the design nor the ornaments, least of all
the panels, painted with mythological subjects, are interesting. It is
divided into seven compartments, surrounded by elaborate classic scroll
and arabesque work, and allegorical figures. The centre medallion is
oval, the other six oblong or lozenge shaped. The officers of Works in
their Report, dated 30th of September, 1725, to the "Lords Commissioners
of His Majesty's Treasury," on this work, added:
"We have caused an estimate to be made of the charge of painting
the wainscot of the sd. Gallery and little closets in the same
manner as the Bedchamber and closets are already painted, amounting
to £32: 16:
Gilding the same--£154: 4:
Providing Scaffolds for the Painters and covering the floors with
Boards to prevent their being damaged, etc., £233: 3:"
They further added:
"We crave leave to lay before your Lordships a letter that we have
received from Sir James Thornhill, Serj^{t} Painter to his Majesty,
in which he complains that the gilding of the cornishes, which hath
hitherto been done by himself, and his predecessors, is by my Lord
Chamberlain's Letter directed to be done by another person, which
letter we have hereunto annexed."
On October 5th, accordingly, an order was made to the Board of Works to
commission Sir J. Thornhill to do the gilding of the cornices.
On the barbarity of painting the beautiful oak work in this gallery, and
especially the exquisitely carved oak architraves and cornices, we need
not dwell. They remained painted until last autumn, when with infinite
trouble and pains, the paint was cleaned off, and all the delicate
chiselling of Gibbons and his assistants revealed to the eye, after
being obscured for a hundred and seventy-four years. The visitor can
judge for himself with what success this has been accomplished. No stain
has been used in this restoration; and only after repeated experiments
was the method adopted of treating it simply with wax polish.
The old panelling of Wren's time was probably removed in the time of
George II., in order to afford more wall-space for hanging pictures
on--which was Queen Caroline's great hobby.
An even worse barbarism was perpetrated in this superb gallery at the
beginning of the century--when it was divided by partitions into three
distinct rooms--in which state it remained until the restorations were
begun last year. One of these subdivisions was used by Queen Victoria,
when a little girl, for her toys.
Naval Pictures in the King's Gallery.
In this gallery have now been collected a large number of sea-pieces,
sea-fights, dockyards, and admirals, mainly of the time of the Georges,
to illustrate the history of the British Navy. Though but very few--for
instance, those by Monamy and Scott--can be considered fine works of
art, yet all of them will be found interesting and curious; and no one,
who has known them only when hanging in bad lights on dark screens in
the overcrowded rooms at Hampton Court, would have suspected how much
there is to be studied in them, now that they are at length properly
displayed.