PAINTED CEILINGS 



385 



FIG. 311. Part of Ceiling over the Staircase, Boughton House. 



But Verrio was by far the busiest of all, and did a vast amount 

 of work at Windsor, Hampton Court, and Burghley House, 

 among other places. Over the grand staircase at Hampton 

 Court (Fig. 309) the composition which occupies the ceiling is 

 brought down on to the walls. This device was sometimes 

 adopted with the view, apparently, of bringing ceiling and 

 walls into one scheme ; but although the technique is clever, the 

 effect is rather confusing. The examples from Boughton House 

 (Figs. 310, 311) show a simpler and more intelligible treat- 

 ment. Evelyn frequently mentions Verrio with high com- 

 mendation, and his work and that of his school is extremely 

 clever, and were it more easily seen and with less physical dis- 

 comfort, doubtless it would beget more admiration than it actually 

 does. Verrio died in 1/07 and Laguerre twenty years later. 

 Their tradition was carried on for another ten or twelve years 

 by Sir'James Thornhill, but it then died out, and painting on 

 ceilings was confined to small panels. 



It was chiefly in the larger houses that ornamental ceilings 

 were now introduced. In those of ordinary size, and those built 

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