Sir James Thornhill

Sir James Thornhill 1676-1734, English decorative artist. George I made him court painter and later knighted him. He executed decorations in Hampton Court and the cupola of St. Paul's, London; the hall of Greenwich Hospital, Chatham, England; the great hall of Blenheim Palace; and various chapels at Oxford, where he also painted altarpieces for All Souls and Queen's colleges. As a teacher, he found a rare pupil in Hogarth , who became his son-in-law. The limited number of Thornhill's etchings includes Adam and Eve.

Thornhill, Sir James (b Woolland or Weymouth, Dorset, 25 July 1675 or 1676; d Thornhill House, nr. Stalbridge, Dorset, 13 May 1734). English decorative painter. He was the only native painter to challenge the foreign decorative artists who worked in England during the period in the late 17th and early 18th centuries when there was a vogue for wall and ceiling paintings in the Baroque manner. His two finest works are the ceiling of the Painted Hall (1707–14) at Greenwich Hospital (now Royal Naval College), London, the main scene of which shows William and Mary Enthroned, and the grisaille paintings on the life of St Paul (1716–19) in the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, London (he beat Pellegrini and Sebastiano Ricci in the competition for the commission). Thornhill was highly regarded by his contemporaries and won numerous distinctions. He was appointed history painter to George I in 1718 and serjeant-painter in 1720; in the same year he was knighted (the first English-born painter to be so honoured), and in 1722 he became Member of Parliament for a seat in his home county of Dorset. In addition to his decorative paintings, he also produced portraits, book illustrations, and architectural designs. Hogarth was his pupil and son-in-law.

Thornhill, Sir James (1675–1734). English decorative painter. He was the only native painter to challenge the foreign decorative artists who worked in England during the period in the late 17th and early 18th century when there was a vogue for wall and ceiling paintings in the Baroque manner. His two finest works are the ceiling of the Painted Hall (1707–14) at Greenwich Hospital (now Royal Naval College), London, the main scene of which shows William and Mary enthroned, and the grisaille paintings on the life of St Paul (1716–19) in the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, London (he beat Pellegrini and Sebastiano Ricci in the competition for the commission). Thornhill was highly regarded by his contemporaries and won numerous distinctions. He was appointed history painter to George I in 1718, and in 1720 he was knighted and made serjeant-painter; in 1722 he became Member of Parliament for a seat in his home county of Dorset. In addition to his decorative paintings, he also produced portraits, book illustrations, and architectural designs. Hogarth was his pupil and son-in-law.