Oh yes, in my spare time not only have I decided to write a blog about my work, but I frequently try and catch people out who may have taken somewhat illicit photographs inside the castle and put them on the internet, which is sadly not a lot... or they have just tagged it wisely from such freaks as me :D anyway telling people off for taking photos is one aspect of my job: acting like the English cultural heritage version of the gestapo!!
Still Antonio Verrio who was employed by Charles II to paint ceilings and such like in Windsor is truly marvellous. Spending many days in rooms darkened to protect such artefacts as painted ceilings I have time to stand and observe. And Admire...
The first caption on the left is the King's drawing room and I think the less impressive of the two captions. The second caption, which is unfortunately misses a great deal of the ceiling off is the best... it is in the Queen's Presence chamber. The room was designed for Catherine de Braganza, the unfortunate wife of Charles II (somewhat of an adulterer installing a mistress downstairs under his bedroom and another in a separate house in the grounds of the castle). The ceiling hosts Catherine in the centre surrounded by an array of classical and biblical figures blurring Greek, Roman and Christian together. We have the red faced devil and winged angels, we have the two-faced Janus and Justice with her sword and scales, and also Zeus with his lighting bolts and Herakles with his lion cloak.
The jollyness of the painting really pleases me. Standing all day today starring at it I finally got asked what on earth it was all about. I stood with an American couple and together we began to piece together a generally overlooked artefact of the castle. Justice, Cerberus the three headed dog being riden by two cherubs, Hera, Aphrodite, etc etc. Of course, it was just a piece of royal propaganda. The aristocratic nobles, who had to wait in the presence chamber for the queen to deign to see them in her audience chamber (the room next door), had in the meantime time to observe the ceiling as I have and been awed by the magnificence of it and hopefully if it worked well, Catherine de Braganza would be awed too; as a spurned wife, no doubt she had a chip on her shoulder and something to prove. Poor lady.
Sometimes it just is worth taking an interest in your work...
Next I will be talking about tapestries!! And for the many that have asked are they paintings.... NO!
"Over and out."
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