The Ceiling Decoration of the Banqueting Hall

Rubens's nine paintings in the ceiling of the Banqueting Hall, in Whitehall, London, provided the main decoration of this magnificent room, which was the focal point of Stuart Court ceremonial. Commissioned by King James I and his son, the future Charles I, following the destruction of the early Jacobean Banqueting Hall, their role in enhancing court spectacle came to an end with the fire that destroyed the rest of Whitehall Palace in 1598. The delay in executing the commission was due to mat…