William Hogarth’s Long-Hidden Murals at St Bartholomew’s Hospital Unveiled to the Public After Restoration

06 October 2025

After nearly three centuries in relative obscurity, two monumental biblical murals by the 18th-century artist William Hogarth are now open for public viewing in London at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, following a painstaking, multiyear restoration process.

The works, The Pool of Bethesda and The Good Samaritan dominate the staircase of the hospital’s North Wing. Each panel measures about 2.1 metres (7 feet) in height and carries both spiritual and civic meaning. They were originally painted in the 1730s, when Hogarth stepped in to replace a proposed commission for an Italian painter, offering to do the work free of charge to make a point about promoting English artistry.

The murals had mostly been kept from general public view for centuries, accessible only via occasional special tours or glimpses through narrow access points. They, along with the surrounding staircase and North Wing interiors, have now been fully restored under a £9.5 million project supported in part by a £5.3 million grant from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The restoration covered more than just cleaning the murals. Specialist conservators addressed structural issues with the wooden “stretcher” backing frames, removed layers of accumulated dirt and previous varnish, and repaired flaking paint. Beyond the murals, the project also renewed decorative plasterwork, reinforced the timber staircase, restored the Great Hall’s ornate gilded ceiling (designed by Jean Baptiste St Michell), and stabilized stonework, windows, and roofing in the North Wing.

In concert with the opening, the North Wing now serves as a public cultural venue. The Hogarth murals will be available for viewing twice a week. The Great Hall and adjacent restored areas will host exhibitions, concerts, and guided tours, weaving heritage and living culture into the hospital’s fabric.

Institutional voices emphasize the importance of the revival. Will Palin, chief executive of Barts Heritage, expressed hope that this transformed wing becomes a must-see destination for art lovers and London visitors, saying, “They’ve never been publicly accessible, the doors have never been thrown open to the public like we’ve done.”

St Bartholomew’s, often referred to as “Barts,” is London’s oldest hospital still operating on its original site, with a history stretching nearly 900 years. The North Wing, built in 1732 as part of architect James Gibbs’ redesign, historically housed donor reception areas, patient wards, and architectural embellishments.

The significance of Hogarth’s murals goes beyond their aesthetic presence. In The Pool of Bethesda, Hogarth portrays a paralyzed man being healed by Christ, a resonant choice for a hospital context. The Good Samaritan likewise underscores compassion and care across social divides. In both, Hogarth included portraits of patients suffering from conditions like gout, jaundice or other maladies familiar to 18th-century London perhaps an empathetic bridge between art and medicine.

Hogarth’s own motivations for accepting the commission were partly political. He considered the earlier decision to hire a foreign painter for the hospital staircase as a slight against English art. By volunteering, he not only claimed the commission but made a public statement about local talent and national pride.

Now, as these works step back into daylight, they reframe a hidden chapter of London’s cultural heritage. No longer confined to institutional corridors, they can be experienced by patients, staff, Londoners and visitors alike. The restoration revives not just physical decoration, but narrative of art as service, healing, and civic pride.