A wise person once told me to always look up because whether you are inside or out, some of the greatest artworks in the world hang right above our heads.
The blankest canvas in most buildings is the ceiling. A vast, white space protecting us from the outside world, but somehow, despite it’s purpose, almost altogether forgotten. Thankfully, they haven't all been ignored.
Country Life’s vast photographic library contains hundreds of thousands of images taken by some of the UK's finest architectural photographers.
This small selection — handpicked from the archive's vaults — aims to highlight just a few of the most exquisite, unusual and earliest painted ceilings.
Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London
James Thornhill was commissioned to decorate the breathtaking Painted Hall at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, in the early 18th Century.
The ceiling artwork, painted when Queen Anne was on the throne, depicts Protestant liberty victorious over Catholic absolutism.
The Great Staircase, Chatsworth, Derbyshire
The vast fresco The Triumph of Semele, executed in 1691 by the Venetian artist Antonio Verrio, adorns the ceiling above Chatsworth house's Great Staircase.
The artist was responsible for introducing Baroque mural painting into England, and served the Crown for more than 30 years.
Heaven Room, Burghley House, Lincolnshire
Much has been, rightly, written about Burghley House's spectacular Heaven Room, but the ceiling depicting the chaos and lurid colour of the Hell Staircase is also worthy of note.
Executed, again, by the much in-demand Antonio Verrio, work on the vertiginous, fiery hellscape was completed between 1696-7.
Double Cube Room, Wilton House, Wiltshire
The central oval detail on the ceiling of Wilton's Double Cube Room was painted by the English Baroque artist, Emanuel de Critz.
It depicts Perseus in the palace of King Polydectes, saving his mother Danae from the king's unwelcome attentions.
Drapers' Hall, Throgmorton Street, City of London
Widely agreed to be one of the finest livery halls in the City of London, Draper’s Hall was founded more than six centuries ago to promote the trade of woollen cloth.
Much later in the building’s history, in 1903, the artist H. J. Draper created this ceiling in the Livery Hall depicting scenes from Shakespeare’s The Tempest and A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
Locko Park, Derbyshire
A detail of the ceiling in the front entrance hall at Locko Park in Derbyshire. This late-Victorian addition to the house is attributed to the Florentine artist Federico Andreotti.
The Long Gallery, Parham House, West Sussex
The Long Gallery at Parham House runs the length of the house at 160ft (about 48m) long and is the third longest gallery of its type in the country.
The Elizabethan ceiling remained undecorated until the mid 20th century when the eminent stage and costume designer Oliver Messel was commissioned to paint it in tribute to the renowned botanist Sir Joseph Banks — a relation to the owners. It was completed in 1968.
Law's Close, Kirkcaldy, Fife
This simpler, but nonetheless equally remarkable ceiling was discovered at Law's Close — an early example of a Scottish merchant’s house — by a student in the late 20th century.
The 16th century artwork was hiding behind a 17th century plaster ceiling was this exquisitely-decorated 16th century wooden ceiling.
Watts Cemetery Chapel, Guildford, Surrey
This stunning artwork was the brainchild of local artist Mary Watts.
From 1896, she worked alongside residents of Compton, Surrey, guiding 74 of them towards the creation of this Arts and Crafts pottery and paint masterpiece. The chapel sits on top of a hill in the village’s graveyard.
The Country Life Image Archive contains more than 150,000 images documenting British culture and heritage, from 1897 to the present day. An additional 50,000 assets from the historic archive are scheduled to be added this year — with completion expected in Summer 2025. To search and purchase images directly from the Image Archive, please register here
-
What is everyone talking about this week? Forget British wine, British olive oil is the next pot of goldWeek in, week out, Will Hosie rounds up the hottest topics on everyone's lips, in London and beyond.
-
The Glovebox: The fastest coffee shop on four wheelsBentley joins forces with Joe & The Juice, Rolls-Royce makes a Spectre for a dog, an Austin Mini with royal connections comes up for auctions, and Norman Foster clambers into a Bulldog.
-
The Glovebox: The fastest coffee shop on four wheels
Bentley joins forces with Joe & The Juice, Rolls-Royce makes a Spectre for a dog, an Austin Mini with royal connections comes up for auctions, and Norman Foster clambers into a Bulldog.
-
‘One remembers not to give the Queen a thump of joyful friendliness’: Remembering Norman Parkinson — revolutionary fashion photographer and Cecil Beaton’s only homegrown rivalCecil Beaton might be the toast of London right now, with a new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, but contemporary Norman Parkinson was always hot on his heels.
-
Tim Knox, director of the Royal Collection, charts a century of regal tasteEdward VII swept away the cobwebs of mid-Victorian style, Queen Mary had passion for all things small and the Queen Mother bought rather avant-garde art.
-
‘One of the most amazing spaces in London’: Two Hogarth murals, inside an 18th century London hospital, are to go on public display for the first timeSt Bartholomew's Hospital’s north wing is to open as a visitor attraction and events space — while the rest of the hospital will continue to operate as normal.
-
Sophia Money-Coutts: A snob's guide to welliesWellington boots are a signifier, says Sophia Money-Coutts, of whether you are 'proper country' or not.
-
Fall the right way: Country Life's shopping guide to the very best this autumnFrom tweed to tartan, scented candles to sandwiches, here's how to spend your money this autumn.
-
What to expect when you start collectingStarting a new collection can be daunting. Art advisor Patrick Monahan shares his top tips on what and how to buy and what to avoid.
-
If the electric-vehicle revolution is anything like the Lotus Emeya, we needn't be so worriedThe new 'hyper GT' from Lotus is as good an effort at an exciting EV that can currently be found on British roads.
