Rubens Ceiling at the Banqueting House

This symposium will be of interest to art and architectural historians, conservators and heritage scientists. It will showcase the results of recent technical investigations to understand and develop methods to preserve and present the ceiling’s painting and decorative scheme.

The ceiling is composed of painted and gilded wooden coffering, designed by Inigo Jones, which surrounds nine extremely large oil paintings on canvas by Sir Peter Paul Rubens. The ceiling has been altered by intermittent campaigns of treatment, cleaning and repainting over its history. These aged restorations now impact on the appearance of the ceiling.

The programme will be in three parts focusing on the decorative painted scheme, the paintings and future plans for the Banqueting House. Specialists Simon Thurley, Desmond Shawe-Taylor, Gregory Martin, Nico Van Hout, Jane Davies, Hannah Tempest and Richard Ireland will join Historic Royal Palaces' conservators, curators, scientists, surveyors and creative programming/public engagement managers.