Description: The picture was painted whilst the artist was staying at Clifton Hall (1820-30), though the dates could possibly be wrong as the lions were supposed to have been added to the gardens c 1840. Clifton Hall is a Grade I listed building and was home to The Clifton Family. The building which cannot be seen here is largely Georgian in character and supercedes a previous medieval home. Alterations and additions to the house were carried out over the years by John Thorpe, c 1611, and by John Smythson (stables and lodges dated 1632), and most noteworthy. King Charles I stayed briefly at Clifton Hall in 1632 as a guest of the 1st Baronet of Clifton, Sir Gervase Clifton. King Charles occupied a bedroom at the top of the circular staircase that runs up the east wing of the house. During his visit the King played bowls with the Baronet. The earliest complete element is the southern wing which contains many interiors of great importance, mostly panelled, a chimney piece probably designed by John Smythson and complete 17th century decorated interior - the Pages Room - with chequered black-and white marble floor and painted panelled walls with figures in 17th century military dress. The architect John Carr known for his work on Harewood House, Colwick Hall and the Newark and Chesterfield Town Halls spent two years extending and modifying the hall until 1780. In the centre between the north and south wings is the Octagon (a full height plastered early Rococo hall interior of the mid 18th century). To the north is a square block designed as servants and service accommodation also by John Carr (1779). At the same time he added the Doric colonnade and re-fronted the south elevation in ashlar, with a large central bow front. The building was for many years during the 20th century a Grammar School. Most recently it was occupied by Nottingham Trent University and used for education training and offices. Facing the eastern elevation of the hall, at the foot of the first grass terrace lies two large, weather worn stone lions. The statues are based on a design in Rome's St. Peter's Square. The sleeping lions lay seemingly flopped on a wall either side of a set of steps that lead to the Halls gardens. One of them still has a legible date of 1840 inscribed on the stand. However one of the lions is of a much more recent construction. It's a replacement statue organised by the Clifton Girls Grammar School Headmistress, Miss Heron, after the original had been damaged. Interestingly, the new lion is said to be solid stone while the original was hollow. Many people afterwards tried to identify the genuine article by tapping on each statue and listening for a hollow echo. With the re-organisation of the University it became surplus to their requirements and closed in 2000. It was sold in 2001 to the Raven Group (housing developers) who have proposals to convert the Hall into flats and for the construction of a new extension to replace the canteen and ancillary buildings. The Hall has been vacant since 2000. (Information partially extracted from the 'Nottingham City Council Online' web-site).