The History of the Painters' Hall

Guilds were created in medieval times when tradesmen who worked in the same areas made informal arrangements amongst themselves for protecting trade, regulating competition and maintaining professional standards.

The earliest reference to “Paynters” who decorated, gilded and coloured solid objects such as wood, metal and stone, is in 1283. In the middle ages artists joined together to form the Guild of St Luke, otherwise known as the Painters’ Guild. Links with the Royal Court soon developed and the Guild was at the centre of British cultural and political life.

Our first great figure was also the first recorded King’s Painter, Gilbert Prince. In Westminster Abbey just by the tomb of the Unknown Soldier, is a large panel painting of King Richard II; this is the earliest surviving life portrait of a British monarch, and this was painted in 1394 by Gilbert Prince.

At this time painters painted everything, from portraits to banners and barges and murals on walls. Our Company’s early history is full of disputes with other trades who claimed the right to do some of the work the painters did – notably the Plaisterers and the Heralds – and there was a separate branch of the trade, the “Steyners”, who applied colour to woven fabrics and who formed their own Guild around 1400.

CHARTERS

The Painters received an Inspeximus in 1466 and a Grant of Arms in 1486 and in 1502 the Paynters united with the Steyners, to form the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers.

Queen Elizabeth I approved of the Company because its members maintained painting standards and made sure that her image was presented in the way she wanted it. The patronage of Queen Elizabeth helped us to obtain our first Charter in 1581. It was surrendered to Charles II in 1684 but in l685 James II granted a new Charter conferring powers in London and Westminster and within six miles.

Although an Act of William & Mary nullified the surrender it is on the Charter of James II that most of the routine of Company is based to this day. An additional Charter was granted by George Vl in l939 and another by Elizabeth II in 1981. The originals of all these documents are on display in the Court Room. The Company is the 28th in seniority in the City of London's Livery Companies.

EDUCATION

When the Royal Academy was founded in 1768 many artists joined that in preference to the Painters’ Company, so, although we retained our links with the fine arts and regularly elect the Presidents of the Royal Academy as Honorary Liverymen, we had to find other ways to develop.

The Company’s energies turned to education and it claims to be amongst the first to inaugurate training in art and craftwork. In 1872 it set up an evening class, which was the fore-runner of the City and Guilds of London Institute. By 1877 the Company was supporting technical education with prizes at the City of London School, the Freemen’s Orphans School, the Commercial Travellers’ School and the City and Spitalfields School of Design.

As just one example the Company played a leading role in the development and manufacture of wall-paper which was first mentioned in a Company document of 1626. In this way it helped to define the nature of fashionable interiors for the next three centuries. Secondly, we developed the decorative arts of marbling and staining, notably through the genius of Thomas Kershaw, whose superb work can be seen in the V&A.

These trends came together in the 19th century in the Crace family, founders of the most famous decorating firm, and successive Masters of this Company. They were responsible for the interiors of everything from Buckingham Palace to Brighton Pavilion and it is significant that the multi-million pound re-opening of the original entrance to the National Gallery in London, the home of so many masterpieces of foreign painting, was centred on the restoration of the original decorative scheme by J D Crace.

By the end of the nineteenth century the Company was holding regular technical classes in conjunction with the Carpenter’s Company and many members of the Company were involved in the establishment in 1899 of the Institute of British Decorators, later the British Institute of Interior Design.

In 1860 the first of several exhibitions of marbling, graining and sign-writing was held. The company revived this Craft Exhibition in 1997 and in 2000 hosted the international Millennium Salon at which numerous craftsmen from around the world exhibited and demonstrated their skills in Painters’ Hall and the Great Hall of St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

The members of the Company’s Fine Art Society hold an Annual Exhibition in Painters’ Hall in October which is open to the public; most paintings on display are for sale www.paintersfineart.org.uk

LYNN PAINTER-STAINERS' ART PRIZE

Together with the Lynn Foundation, the Company initiated The Lynn Painter-Stainers’ Art Prize in 2005 to encourage observational painting in Britain and to promote the skill of draughtsmanship.

Each year, the selected works are exhibited at Painters’ Hall and £22,500 is awarded in prizes. The First Prize is £15,000 along with an engraved gold medal and there is a Young Artist Award of £2,500 for artists 25 years or under plus five Runners Up Prizes of £1,000 each.

The Lynn Painter-Stainers’ Prize Exhibition is a showcase of outstanding contemporary portraiture, landscape and still life painting from artists throughout the UK.

The competition annually attracts over 800 entries, and the resulting exhibition of 70-80 paintings is hung in Painters’ Hall each November and is open to the public. To view the work shortlisted in 2010 please visit www.painter-stainers.org

PAINTERS’ HALL

The Hall was destroyed in the Great Fire of September 1666. But earlier during the conflagration Charles II is reported to have rested in it after viewing the approaching destruction.

A stained glass window depicting the Arms of Charles II in the Court Room is believed to commemorate this visit.

A new Hall was built by 1670, though additions and improvements continued to be made and in 1682 it was insured against fire. Extensive repairs were carried out in 1776-7 and a new wing was built in 1880. The Little Trinity Lane front was reconstructed and new buildings were erected on the adjoining site of 5,6,7 and 8 in 1914-16.

In 1930 the south wall of the Hall was condemned because the foundations were insufficient. This wall was 3ft thick and was reputed to have survived the Great Fire of 1666. Its replacement resulted in a major reconstruction of the Hall and Court Room beneath it, but both were destroyed by fire resulting from enemy action in 1941. The present Hall was rebuilt and opened in 1961.

PICTURE COLLECTION

The Company’s collection of pictures was seriously depleted by fires in 1666 and 1946. Those that have survived, together with some recent additions and commissions, hang in the Hall.

The present collection includes works given by recent Presidents of the Royal Academy together with paintings by other distinguished artists.

From time to time the Company purchases or commissions suitable paintings and Livery and Freemen often donate pictures to the Company’s collection.

DISTINGUISHED MEMBERS

Through the centuries the Company has included many distinguished artists including Sir Joshua Reynolds, Sir Godfrey Kneller, Sir Peter Lely, Sir James Thornhill, William Dobson, Peter Monamy, Lord Leighton, Sir John Millais, Sir Edwin Lutyens, Sir Alfred Munnings, Sir Thomas Monnington, Sir Gerald Kelly, Sir Charles Wheeler, Sir Hugh Casson and Sir Roger de Grey.

Liveryman distinguished in other spheres include Field Marshal Lord Alexander, Marshal of the Royal Air Force Lord Tedder, Field Marshal Sir Gerald Templer and, more recently, Sir Peter Gwynn-Jones, Garter Principal King of Arms 1992-2010, General Lord Guthrie, General Sir Roger Wheeler, Sir Denis Rooke and Sir Denis Thatcher.