"The North Wing at St Bartholomew's Hospital has opened following a 9.5m restoration project. The Grade I-listed building contains the Hogarth Stair, part of architect James Gibbs' 1730s redesign, which is surrounded by the large scale paintings The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan. Pro Charles Knight, chief executive of the hospital, said the renewal work stood "as a lasting legacy of our recent 900th anniversary, connecting centuries of medical excellence with our rich heritage.""
"William Hogarth offered to paint the Great Hall and staircase for free so he could make sure Italian artist Jacopo Amigoni did not win the commission - and could therefore prove an English artist could excel in grand historical painting. An ornate banquet room, a historic baroque gatehouse, a statue of King Henry VIII and Portland stonework have also being conserved in the project. This includes the intricate gilded ceiling of the Great Hall, designed by Jean Baptiste St Michell, his only work in England."
The Grade I-listed North Wing at St Bartholomew's Hospital has reopened after a 9.5m restoration, returning Hogarth's large-scale paintings The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan to public view. The North Wing, built in 1732 and incorporating James Gibbs' 1730s redesign, includes the Hogarth Stair and the Great Hall with an intricate gilded ceiling by Jean Baptiste St Michell. Restoration work conserved an ornate banquet room, a historic baroque gatehouse, a statue of King Henry VIII and Portland stonework. The refurbished space will serve as a visitor attraction, cultural venue and events space, linked to the hospital's 900th anniversary and intended to support patient and staff wellbeing.
Read at www.bbc.com
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