The building

The Painted Hall sits within the King William Court.  Wren submitted designs in 1698 and the roof and dome were in place five years later. When in 1708 James Thornhill began decorating the interior, he was instructed to include as many references as possible to the importance of the navy in Britain’s fortunes. 

His ‘great and laborious undertaking’ was finally completed after 19 years, by which time the Painted Hall was felt to be far too grand for its original purpose. Respectable visitors were allowed admittance, after paying a small fee, and the residents of the Royal Hospital – Greenwich Pensioners – acted as tour guides. Thornhill was paid only £3 per square yard (about one square metre) for the ceiling, and just £1 per square yard for the walls.  However, he did receive a knighthood in 1720 and his legacy is the finest painted architectural interior by an English artist.

In 1806, three months after the Battle of Trafalgar the previous October, the body of Horatio Nelson was brought to lie in state in the Painted Hall. A plaque marks the spot where his coffin was placed before it was taken for burial in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral.

Between 1824 and 1936, the Painted Hall was known as the National Gallery of Naval Art, with over 300 naval-themed paintings on display. These paintings, together with portrait busts, drawings, ship models and relics of Nelson, formed the basis of the National Maritime Museum’s art collection.

In 1939, following extensive restoration, the Painted Hall was used for dining (including breakfast) by the officers of the Royal Naval College. It was also the venue for many grand dinners including in 1946 a banquet to celebrate the formation of the United Nations.

The Painted Hall today

Today the magnificent Painted Hall is open to visitors free of charge. It is also still used for the purpose for which it was originally built; as a venue for prestigious dinners and formal occasions such as weddings. For details visit www.ornc.org/venuehire or our events calendar www.ornc.org/events

If you are interesting in finding out more about the Painted Hall, join on of our knowledgeable Yeomen guides on a daily talk or guided tour. You can also explore the Painted Hall by downloading our interpretation guide:

• Painted Hall interpretation guide - English (Pdf, 1.59MB)
• Painted Hall interpretation guide - German (Pdf, 1.55MB)
• Painted Hall interpretation guide - French (Pdf, 1.58MB)
• Painted Hall interpretation guide - Spanish (Pdf, 1.58MB)
• Painted Hall interpretation guide - Japanese (Pdf, 1.77MB)

This guide is also available in English, German, French, Spanish and Japanese from the welcome desk in the Painted Hall for 50p purchase. Every purchase helps to support the ORNC.

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