1716
From the collection of Victoria and Albert Museum
Dominant colour
Design for an illusionistic panel in the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace is a 1716 by James Thornhill, a Baroque work, held at Victoria and Albert Museum.
A wash over pencil drawing, this work is a preparatory design for an illusionistic panel in the Great Hall at Blenheim Palace, featuring an arrangement of military equipment. Commissioned by the 1st Duke and Duchess of Marlborough, the panel was intended to highlight the Duke’s military achievements beneath a ceiling painting celebrating his victories in the War of the Spanish Succession. The design emphasizes three-dimensionality through shading and was part of a larger decorative scheme Thornhill created for the palace interiors.
Read the full account in the museum source.
Sir James Thornhill was an English painter of historical subjects working in the Italian baroque tradition.
See the richer artist page
