Main Drawing Room
18th C Dutch Style
Wall and Ceiling Paintings
- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
- mouldings and ornaments
- exquisite patinas
- a mouldmaking service
- painted copies and originals
- beautifully sculpted frames
- and rather a lot more….
For this project our client had in their possession three large 18th Century oil paintings depicting scenes from the Greek myth of “Dido and Aeneas”, around which they wished to design an entire room.
- to create four new wall paintings to be displayed around the three existing originals.
- to re-create a large ceiling painting, 5.3 x 4.6 meters, based on a small oil sketch by Jacob de Wit entitled “The Apotheosis Of Aeneas”.
The Subject
The Process
The Subject
The Process
The Subject
The Process
The Subject
The Process
The ceiling painting is a 5.3 x 4.6 meter re-creation of an original oil sketch, shown opposite, by Jacob de Wit, entitled “The Apotheosis Of Aeneas”. The original painted ceiling was lost in a fire several hundred years ago.
As such, the only information available on which to base the composition of the re-creation of the painting was this small sketch which resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
The scene depicts the moment Venus annoints Aeneas in the heavens.
In the first instance, all the figures were researched to find out which mythological characters they were most likely to be. This was achieved by considering which positions the figures occupied in the heavens; their actual pose; what tools, objects or weapons they carried; what helmets they wore; and by the colour and types of clothing.
Once we had all the characters established, they were then sketched on paper to scale and taped to the ceiling so we could check their scale and disposition.
The ceiling was then painted in oil directly on the primed plaster ceiling.
The ceiling painting is a 5.3 x 4.6 meter re-creation of an original oil sketch, shown opposite, by Jacob de Wit, entitled “The Apotheosis Of Aeneas”. The original painted ceiling was lost in a fire several hundred years ago.
As such, the only information available on which to base the composition of the re-creation of the painting was this small sketch which resides in the collection of the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam.
The scene depicts the moment Venus annoints Aeneas in the heavens.
In the first instance, all the figures were researched to find out which mythological characters they were most likely to be. This was achieved by considering which positions the figures occupied in the heavens; their actual pose; what tools, objects or weapons they carried; what helmets they wore; and by the colour and types of clothing.
Once we had all the characters established, they were then sketched on paper to scale and taped to the ceiling so we could check their scale and disposition.
The ceiling was then painted in oil directly on the primed plaster ceiling.
Four wall paintings were realised to depict pivotal moments from the narrative of the Greek myth of “Dido and Aeneas”.
- Two side panels were created to extend the largest existing painting; one to the left with additional soldiers, and one to the right depicting a group from Dido’s entourage.
- Another two paintings, independent of the main-painting-with-side-panels, were realised portraying seperate events in the narrative. The first painting shows Iris cutting a lock of Dido’s hair as she sleeps, and the second we see Mercury gifting Aeneas a hoard of arms.
The designs for the four new wall paintings were original compositions based on the pictorial language and aesthetic of the artist of the three original 18th C paintings in the owner’s possession, around which the roomed was designed. The artist, or artists, of the originals were unknown to us.
The three original paintings were the only resource available.
The four wall paintings were executed in oil on linen canvas.
Two of the paintings were designed to have doors open through them.
Four wall paintings were realised to depict pivotal moments from the narrative of the Greek myth of “Dido and Aeneas”.
- Two side panels were created to extend the largest existing painting; one to the left with additional soldiers, and one to the right depicting a group from Dido’s entourage.
- Another two paintings, independent of the main-painting-with-side-panels, were realised portraying seperate events in the narrative. The first painting shows Iris cutting a lock of Dido’s hair as she sleeps, and the second we see Mercury gifting Aeneas a hoard of arms.
Creating The Paintings
The designs for the four new wall paintings were original compositions based on the pictorial language and aesthetic of the artist of the three original 18th C paintings in the owner’s possession, around which the roomed was designed. The artist, or artists, of the originals were unknown to us.
The three original paintings were the only resource available.
The four wall paintings were executed in oil on linen canvas.
Two of the paintings were designed to have doors open through them.