“We have been to Kensington and carefully view’d and considered the said painting, which we did find better than half done: But having examin’d the particulars thereof, we have observed, and ’tis our opinion, that the Perspective is not just; that the principal of the work, which consists in ornaments and architecture, is not done as such a place requires. Mr. Nesbot adds that the Boys, Masks, Mouldings, etc., far from being well, he has seen very few worse for such a place: and Mr. Rambour affirms that the said work, far from being done in the best manner, as mentioned in your letter, it is not so much as tolerably well perform’d. As for the quality of the Blew used in the work, Mr. Vandewart and Mr. Rambour declare that they can’t judge whether it is true ultramarine, because it does not look fine enough, but Mr. Nesbot’s opinion is that it is nothing but Prussian Blew, in which perhaps there may be some Ultra-marine mixt.”
Nevertheless, the colours have endured unfaded until to-day; and the gilding also, both on the ceiling and the walls, has required but little renewing, only cleaning and an occasional application of modern leaf gold, and retouching with the paint brush, where the old surface had been injured.
Much of the woodwork, however, had to be repaired, especially the capitals of the pilasters, some of which had to be renewed.
The shape of the ceiling is slightly domed, the four coved sides terminating above in a flat centre, painted with a gigantic star of the Order of the Garter. The coved sides themselves are painted with octagonal panels, diminishing upwards to simulate a lofty pierced dome. Kent himself seems to have been so well satisfied with the work, that he made use of almost exactly the same design when painting the Queen’s Staircase at Hampton Court some twelve years after. Across, part of the north cove of the ceiling is painted a deep shadow, to indicate that cast by the wall and cornice above the windows.
The Painted Walls of the Cube Room.
KENT, after finishing the ceiling, proceeded to decorate the walls with painting and gilding. There is a letter in the Record Office, from Lord Grafton, to the Lords of the Treasury, dated 29th of May, 1725, ordering payment of “£344 2s. 7d. to Mr. Kent, for painting the sides of the Cube Room at Kensington with ornaments enriched with gold.”
These walls, including the four pilasters on each, are of oak, painted with a light olive-green colour as a ground, embellished with niches of white marble, surmounted by brackets of the same, let into the woodwork.
In the six niches are well-designed statues of classical deities—Ceres, Mercury, Venus, Minerva, Bacchus, Apollo, in cast lead, somewhat under life-size. These were so dirty and tarnished as to necessitate their being entirely new-gilt. Above them, standing on brackets in flat rectangular niches, were formerly busts representing Roman poets, now unfortunately no longer to be found.
The two doorways opposite each other are likewise of the same fine polished marble, with pilasters and pillars of the Ionic order, supporting heavy entablatures, on the apexes of which are antique busts.
The chimney-place is of the same design in miniature, of polished “dove-coloured” white-veined marble, similar to that at Marlborough House. On the apex was formerly a gilt bust of Cleopatra, now missing. Within the fireplace itself are very fine panelled and moulded “covings” or sides, of the same “dove-coloured” marble, discovered during the progress of the restorations.