I enjoyed an inspiring few days in Greenwich in July, visiting the gloriously baroque Painted Hall, Royal Observatory and Maritime Museum.
The Painted Hall
Known as Britain’s ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel’, the breathtaking Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College was designed in the early 18th century by Sir James Thornhill. Spanning more than 3,700 square metres, the baroque mural depicts 200 figures including kings, queens and mythological creatures. It’s worth listening to the audio to discern the various symbolic elements and the people portrayed.
It was intended to be a glorious monument to Britain’s naval power, political stability and commercial prosperity as well as the Protestant accessions to the throne of King William III and Queen Mary II in 1688 and George I in 1714.
James spent 19 years planning the painting and was the first English artist to be knighted in 1720 by George I.
Fun fact: The hall has featured in a few films, including Pirates of the Caribbean!
You might also be interested in visiting visual artist Luke Jerram’s ‘Mars’ installation at the Painted Hall this winter.
The Royal Observatory
For those that love cartography, as well as astronomical, longitudinal and timekeeping devices, particularly during Europe’s exploration of the seas, the Royal Observatory is a must visit. Make sure you stand on The Meridian Line, which is the reference point for Greenwich Mean Time (GMT).
National Maritime Museum
You can easily get lost in the National Maritime Museum while discovering the Tudors and Stuart seafarers, pacific encounters, Atlantic and polar worlds. Nelson’s jacket is also on display!
The museum is also home to beautiful stained glass from the Baltic Exchange building, which was severely damaged by a terrorist bomb on 10th April 1992. John Dudley Forsyth was commissioned to design the stained glass windows after the First World War, unveiling the windows in 1922.
