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The staircase at Buckingham House 1818

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Date

1818

Description

Stephanoff’s view of the magnificent staircase hall complements Cattermole’s view of the initial flight of stairs, giving a fine indication of the bold fictive architectural setting provided by Laguerre, and of the size and appearance of the ceiling painting. In addition, it shows how - as part of the alterations made for George III - the north wall (facing us in this view) was repainted with trompe-l’oeil architectural recesses, particularly the central one surrounding the door to the Saloon. The door itself had been introduced by Chambers in the 1760s; its insertion must have involved the destruction of some of Laguerre’s murals. The new fictive architecture provided a suggestion of architectural relief and grandeur in this area which was previously absent. Responsibility for the painting may have lain with William Oram, an employee of the Office of Works who restored Verrio’s King’s Stair at Hampton Court at around the same time.
The door at left on the first-floor landing led to the Queen’s Breakfast Room. At the foot of the stairs a small part of the Entrance Hall is shown, with its freestanding columnar supports and paintings by Canaletto and other Venetian masters adorning the walls.
Catalogue entry adapted from George III & Queen Charlotte: Patronage, Collecting and Court Taste, London, 2004
Alternate title: 'The Staircase, Buckingham Palace (before alterations by Nash).'
Descriptive Medium: 'Pencil, watercolour and bodycolour', 'bodycolour, pencil, watercolour'