William Lock, a connoisseur and art critic, commissioned Thomas Sandby in 1774 to build a new house for him at Norbury Park near Mickleham in Surrey.
Lock was in correspondence with William Gilpin and the house was sited to take full advantage of the picturesque qualities of the area.
Inside, the house in the Painted Room Barret was assisted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani,  Pastorini and Gilpin, with Cipriani doing the figures, Gilpin the cattle and Pastorini the sky.
Eight painted pilasters appear to support a leafy arbour of trellis work, open to the sky: and on the walls of the room are views of distant countryside.
Three are painted as a pastiche of scenes in Cumberland.
 One is natural,  the view to the south towards Box Hill.
At sunset, the light from the setting sun coincides on the western wall with the direction of light from a painted sunset so all the landscapes appear to be illumined by the same source.
Barret also supplied an oil painting of the tree-lined drive at Norbury Park to William Lock.
This is now in Norwich Castle Museum.
William Lock, a connoisseur and art critic, commissioned Thomas Sandby in 1774 to build a new house for him at Norbury Park near Mickleham in Surrey. Lock was in correspondence with William Gilpin and the house was sited to take full advantage of the picturesque qualities of the area. Inside, the house in the Painted Room Barret was assisted by Giovanni Battista Cipriani,  Pastorini and Gilpin, with Cipriani doing the figures, Gilpin the cattle and Pastorini the sky. Eight painted pilasters appear to support a leafy arbour of trellis work, open to the sky: and on the walls of the room are views of distant countryside. Three are painted as a pastiche of scenes in Cumberland.  One is natural,  the view to the south towards Box Hill. At sunset, the light from the setting sun coincides on the western wall with the direction of light from a painted sunset so all the landscapes appear to be illumined by the same source. Barret also supplied an oil painting of the tree-lined drive at Norbury Park to William Lock. This is now in Norwich Castle Museum.
George Barret Sr.