Written in Sir James Thornhill’s own words, and originally published by the Directors of the Royal Hospital for Seamen who commissioned the paintings, this booklet describes the ideas, themes and techniques present in the Painted Hall. The text in the book is arranged by location, giving readers a first-hand account of what they are looking at in each part of the Hall, and what the characters and symbols mean in the context of the political, cultural, scientific, and economic environment of the early 18th Century.