Across the way from the Chapel, Mr Monkey explored the Painted Hall. This gets its name because it's a hall, and it's painted all over. Even the fluting on the columns is painted on. This was done by James Thornhill between 1708 and 1727, who got £6,685 2s 4d (at £3 a square yard of ceiling and £1 a square yard of wall) and a knighthood for his work. When the body of Horatio Nelson was brought to London after Trafalgar, it lay in state here for three days, and was viewed by somewhere between 15,000 and 30,000 people before being taken in a barge to Westminster.
Copyright Rik Shepherd and Mr Monkey. This page last modified 18 June 2005