James Thornhill (1675/1676-1734), The Arrival of George I at Greenwich, 1727, Oil on plaster, The Painted Hall, Greenwich, London ,(This part of the grisaille mural on the north wall, upper hall).
The Painted Hall of the Old Royal Naval College commemorates George I’s arrival at Greenwich from Hanover in 1714, marking his succession to the British throne. Painted by James Thornhill, the scene features George I in a horse-drawn chariot, accompanied by St. George on horseback and a procession of allegorical figures symbolising Religion, Liberty, Truth, and Justice. This artistic portrayal uses the grisaille technique to evoke the style of ancient Roman bas-relief carvings and includes figures dressed in Roman military attire. In the lower-left corner, a soldier representing the rebels of the 1715 uprising cowers before the royal procession. The mural celebrates the beginning of a stable and peaceful era following Queen Anne’s reign and subtly notes the absence of George I’s estranged wife, who was imprisoned in Hanover for adultery.
