Brief Biography-Sir James Thornhill was born in Melcombe Regis, c. 1676. His uncle Sydenham, a renowned physician, put him under the instruction of Thomas Highmore, Sergeant Painter to William III. He visited the Netherlands and France before being commissioned to paint the cupola of Saint Paul’s Cathedral. He later painted at Hampton Court, Blenheim Palace, and many other estates. However, his fees were less than that of his foreign contemporaries for such works. His paintings contained historical and symbolic content, and one of his most renowned works was at Greenwich Hospital, where he painted what became known as the Painted Hall. Thornhill accepted a knighthood and was made Sergeant Painter in 1720. He became a member of Parliament in 1722 and a fellow of the Royal Society in 1723. He died in Weymouth in 1734. His daughter, Jane, married William Hogarth.