King Chulalongkorn praised the Ananta Samakhom construction for progressing punctually in his Royal letter to the Minister of Public Work. After the construction started in 1908, in 1910 the Siamese government moved on, according to plans, to the interior decorations which included the work of a series of frescos. Galileo Chini, the Italian painter, then came into contact with the government of His Majesty the King of Siam.
During the first year of King Vajiravudh Rama VI’s reign (1911), the painter, Galileo Chini, the painter, earlier appointed by King Chulalongkorn Rama V, started to study in detail various ornaments and decorative forms of classical Siamese Art, as well as Siamese history. His studies for the making of the new Throne Hall, a great symbol of modern Siam as an Independent territory during the Colonialist era, continue to amaze the eyes of his art spectators.
Chini’s ceiling frescos light up the Eastern Staircase Hall, which leads into the upper Royal Throne Hall, with a majestic grandeur. The artist depicted the history of the six reigns of Chakri Dynasty using warm light and powerful colors. After two years of work with his two assistants, Carlo Rigoli and Giovanni Sguanci, as well as a team of Italian decorators who entered into the Siamese service under the same project, Galileo Chini created a majestic ambience with his fresco series.
Studies for the fresco representing the reign of King Rama I. Italian lady, Mrs. Colletti, arranging the elephant posture for a photo snap.
Studies for the fresco representing the reign of King Rama I. Photos from Galileo Chini collection showing his hard work on study of elephant anatomy, an unusual creature, in preparation for his sketches for the fresco representing history related to King Rama I.
Study for the fresco representing King Rama VI’s coronation ceremony. The musicians in the royal service, like ceremonial drummers and Thai royal trumpeteers, captures the interest of Galileo Chini, who studied their costume and posture, then depicted them in the scene of King Rama VI’s coronation ceremony.
Lohapon, Neungreudee. “‘Galileo Chini, the Painter’ and Siam”, in Lohapon, Neungreudee. Galileo Chini: Painter of Two Kingdoms. Bangkok: Amarin Printing & Publishing, 2012.
