This gallery was also a favourite sitting-room of Queen Anne and her husband, and of George I. It was by command of the latter monarch that Kent, about the year 1724, undertook the painting of the ceiling, his charge for which, with similar work in "the little closets," amounted to _£_850. Although the richness of the colouring and gilding give it a gorgeous appearance, neither the design nor the ornaments, least of all the panels, painted with mythological subjects, are interesting. It is divided into seven compartments, surrounded by elaborate classic scroll and arabesque work, and allegorical figures. The centre medallion is oval, the other six oblong or lozenge shaped. The officers of Works in their Report, dated 30th of September, 1725, to the "Lords Commissioners of His Majesty's Treasury," on this work, added: "We have caused an estimate to be made of the charge of painting the wainscot of the sd. Gallery and little closets in the same manner as the Bedchamber and closets are already painted, amounting to £32: 16: Gilding the same--£154: 4: Providing Scaffolds for the Painters and covering the floors with Boards to prevent their being damaged, etc., £233: 3:" They further added: "We crave leave to lay before your Lordships a letter that we have received from Sir James Thornhill, Serj^{t} Painter to his Majesty, in which he complains that the gilding of the cornishes, which hath hitherto been done by himself, and his predecessors, is by my Lord Chamberlain's Letter directed to be done by another person, which letter we have hereunto annexed." On October 5th, accordingly, an order was made to the Board of Works to commission Sir J. Thornhill to do the gilding of the cornices. On the barbarity of painting the beautiful oak work in this gallery, and especially the exquisitely carved oak architraves and cornices, we need not dwell. They remained painted until last autumn, when with infinite trouble and pains, the paint was cleaned off, and all the delicate chiselling of Gibbons and his assistants revealed to the eye, after being obscured for a hundred and seventy-four years. The visitor can judge for himself with what success this has been accomplished. No stain has been used in this restoration; and only after repeated experiments was the method adopted of treating it simply with wax polish. The old panelling of Wren's time was probably removed in the time of George II., in order to afford more wall-space for hanging pictures on--which was Queen Caroline's great hobby. An even worse barbarism was perpetrated in this superb gallery at the beginning of the century--when it was divided by partitions into three distinct rooms--in which state it remained until the restorations were begun last year. One of these subdivisions was used by Queen Victoria, when a little girl, for her toys. Naval Pictures in the King's Gallery.