A wise person once told me to always look up because whether you are inside or out, some of the greatest artworks in the world hang right above our heads.

The blankest canvas in most buildings is the ceiling. A vast, white space protecting us from the outside world, but somehow, despite it’s purpose, almost altogether forgotten. Thankfully, they haven't all been ignored.

Country Life’s vast photographic library contains hundreds of thousands of images taken by some of the UK's finest architectural photographers.

This small selection — handpicked from the archive's vaults — aims to highlight just a few of the most exquisite, unusual and earliest painted ceilings.

Painted Hall, Old Royal Naval College, London

James Thornhill was commissioned to decorate the breathtaking Painted Hall at

See Full Page