Welcome to Brighton, UK, a seaside retreat close to London and the home of King George IV pleasure palace: The Royal Pavilion.
This former royal residence was built in three stages, starting in 1787, as a seaside retreat for George, Prince of Wales, who became the Prince Regent in 1811, and King George IV in 1820. It was built with an oriental inspiration. The current appearance of the Pavilion, with its domes and minarets, is the work of architect John Nash, who extended the building starting in 1815. George IV's successors William IV, and Victoria, also used the Pavilion, but Queen Victoria decided that Osborne House should be the royal seaside retreat, and the Pavilion was sold to the city of Brighton in 1850.
Entrance Hall and long gallery
The bright pink walls depict bamboo plants and birds. They are designed to resemble an ornamental garden. The clay figures depict Chinese court officials and dignitaries. The heads are balanced on the body so that they nod when touched. The large chandelier is designed to look like an enormous water lily. It originally hung in the Salon but was moved here when the Pavilion was remodeled. The glazed ceiling depicts elements of Chinese mythology. These include Lei Gong, the Chinese god of thunder. A dress with its umbrella created by artist Stephanie Smart with paper and thread welcomes you for this visit. You will find her work in most of the rooms.
The Banqueting Room
Over the room, in Black and gold, a triangle within a circle is hidden within a complex design . George was a Freemason and this represents the Masonic All-Seeing Eye. The large central cut glass chandelier weighs one ton. It is held in the claws of a silvered dragon flying between the leaves of a palm tree painted on the ceiling. The Subsidiary Chandeliers and the torchieres on the walls repeat the same design of the lotus flowers. They are held by dragons and flying birds known as F'eng Huang in Chinese mythology.
The great kitchen
George was proud of his kitchen and would often show it to guests. He is also known to have eaten in this room on one occasion. Over the very large range you can see a tent-like structures made of copper. Like in our modern kitchen, this hood was designed to draw heat and smells away from the range beneath.
Banqueting Room gallery and Salon
The black dress created by artist Stephanie Smart with paper and thread has a Chinese temple in the jungle on the skirt. The columns in the Banqueting Room gallery are designed to look like palm trees. They provide both structural support to the room above and a sense of exoticism. In the Salon, we see a regal color scheme, red and gold. The curtains and panels use 'His Majesty's Geranium and Gold Color Silk'. This was originally in silver leaf but is now made from platinum. The blue and gold carpet replicates the original hand-knotted one made for the room. A sunflower dominates the centre.
The music Room
The painted figures on the chandelier were based on illustrations by William Alexander, an artist who had visited China and published a book about his travels. The ceiling was shaped in a way that was thought to reflect sound and reduce echoes. The walls are decorated with Chinese scenes and snakes can be found coiled around the room in both two and three dimensions. The white evening dress made of paper by Stephanie Smart has a miniature scene of the room in its skirt. Over the scene, you can read “Music, when soft voices die, vibrates in the memory”.
The kings apartments
These rooms use a more sober color scheme than much of the Pavilion. But the wallpaper was still bursting with dragons, birds and flowers. George's bed was set within an alcove in order to minimize drafts. A concealed door in the corner, behind the desk lead to the King's bathroom. The central room of these apartments served as a library.
The Yellow bow rooms
These two rooms, almost identical are named after the shape of the bow windows. The walls were decorated with chrome yellow, a new color that reflected George's taste for innovative design. All the paintings on display depict scenes of Chinese life. They were produced in China especially for export to Europe. The second guest bedroom, with the green bed, was used by the Duke of Clarence, a brother of George who later became King William IV.
Queen Victoria’s bedroom
Unusually for a royal couple of the day, Victoria and Albert seem to have shared a bed in this room. Their bed uses six mattresses: two of straw, two of horsehair and two of feathers. The wallpaper in this room was exported from China. It depicts stylized gardens with motifs of birds, trees and flowers. Behind a pink door is a toilet and a small room used by the Queen's wardrobe maid. The drapes on the Queen’s bed reminds me of Scarlett’s green dress and hat made with the fabric of window curtains in Gone with the Wind.
South Gallery and staircases
The walls are decorated to look like a cloudless blue sky viewed through a bamboo trellis. The stained glass ceilings provide natural light for the rooms. They are decorated with motifs commonly used in Chinese culture. The Chinese characters above the doors translate as words such as 'hall', 'pavilion', 'palace' and 'son of a king'. The columns on each sides of the doors are topped by strange creatures sitting on crowns. These are mythological Chinese creatures known as kylin. Two white paper dresses by Smart are on display in this room, the one in front of the door with the light is particularly striking.
Outside views of the Pavilion
I hope you enjoyed this photographic tour.
From Rye with Love.
-F-