diff --git a/Documentation/basics.md b/Documentation/basics.md
index 2dd21e4..7921151 100644
--- a/Documentation/basics.md
+++ b/Documentation/basics.md
@@ -169,6 +169,9 @@ Pan, zoom, and era/event click-to-zoom only update **local** `viewStart` / `view
 | Overlay **“Loading art history…”** | Until the first catalog fetch (`bounds` + `timeline` + `artists`) completes |
 | Bottom banner **“Loading portraits…”** | While artist portrait thumbnails are still downloading on the movement flow (timeline stays interactive) |
 | Overlay **“Opening artist/movement gallery…”** | Between clicking a portrait/movement and the 3D hall data being ready |
+| Overlay **“Loading gallery…”** | While the 3D canvas initializes after the hall opens (center area; header and controls stay visible) |
+| Overlay **“Loading paintings…”** | While wall textures are still downloading in the 3D hall |
+| Overlay **“Restoring gallery…”** | Briefly after WebGL context loss while the canvas remounts |
 
 View updates are **batched to one commit per animation frame** via `createViewChangeScheduler()` in `timelineView.ts` (`HomePage.tsx` → `handleViewChange`), so rapid scroll-wheel events do not flood React with separate renders.
 
@@ -311,7 +314,7 @@ Movement galleries do **not** use the predecessor/successor influence picker —
 
 ### Shared 3D behaviour
 
-**3D images** use locally cached files only (`galleryImageUrl` in `client/src/api/client.ts`). Remote fetches are too slow for realtime WebGL textures; the client calls `POST /api/artists/:id/preload-images` automatically when entering an **artist** hall (public route — links disk files only). Movement galleries load painting lists from the API without a separate preload step. While a texture is loading, the frame shows the canvas cover instead of a white placeholder, and a **“Loading paintings…”** overlay is shown until every wall texture has resolved (tracked through `GalleryTextureLoadContext`). The 3D hall stays mounted while painting detail or bio overlays are open; returning remounts the canvas when the hall becomes active again.
+**3D images** use locally cached files only (`galleryImageUrl` in `client/src/api/client.ts`). Remote fetches are too slow for realtime WebGL textures; the client calls `POST /api/artists/:id/preload-images` automatically when entering an **artist** hall (public route — links disk files only). Movement galleries load painting lists from the API without a separate preload step. While a texture is loading, the frame shows the canvas cover instead of a white placeholder. The center of the hall shows **“Loading gallery…”** until the WebGL canvas is ready, then **“Loading paintings…”** until every wall texture has resolved (tracked through `GalleryTextureLoadContext`). The 3D hall stays mounted while painting detail or bio overlays are open; returning remounts the canvas when the hall becomes active again.
 
 **WebGL context-loss recovery:** on some GPUs/drivers (notably certain Chrome setups) the browser can drop the WebGL context right after entering a hall, which would otherwise leave a permanent dark window. `VirtualGallery.tsx` listens for `webglcontextlost` / `webglcontextrestored`, calls `preventDefault()` so the browser can restore the context, and remounts the `<Canvas>` with a fresh context (a **“Restoring gallery…”** overlay shows briefly). The network-loaded HDR `Environment` map is wrapped in an error boundary so, if it fails to load, the hall still renders without reflections instead of unmounting the whole scene.
 
diff --git a/Documentation/setup.md b/Documentation/setup.md
index a9dbb27..a79a3dc 100644
--- a/Documentation/setup.md
+++ b/Documentation/setup.md
@@ -271,4 +271,5 @@ After clone: copy `.env.example` → `.env`, install dependencies, run [one-time
 | Debug / Checkup returns **401** | Not signed in as curator | **Curator login** (top-right); session cookie `gallery.sid` must be sent (`credentials: include`) |
 | Debug works in UI but API rejects | Stale server without auth middleware | Restart `npm run dev:web` or `npm run dev:server` after pulling auth changes |
 | **Empty screen** entering 3D hall (header missing) | Stale client before gallery-session fix | Hard-refresh; pull latest client — hall renders from `view` state, not only `gallerySession` |
+| **Dark center** entering 3D hall (header visible, no spinner) | Stale client before gallery loading overlay fix | Hard-refresh; latest client shows **Loading gallery…** / **Loading paintings…** in the canvas area until ready |
 | 3D hall black after returning from painting detail | WebGL context lost while hall was hidden | Hard-refresh; latest client remounts canvas when hall becomes active again |
diff --git a/client/src/components/VirtualGallery.tsx b/client/src/components/VirtualGallery.tsx
index 967b1e6..3762bb3 100644
--- a/client/src/components/VirtualGallery.tsx
+++ b/client/src/components/VirtualGallery.tsx
@@ -1711,6 +1711,7 @@ export default function VirtualGallery(props: Props) {
   const [nearPassage, setNearPassage] = useState(false);
   const [isLooking, setIsLooking] = useState(false);
   const [texturesPending, setTexturesPending] = useState(0);
+  const [canvasReady, setCanvasReady] = useState(false);
   const [glEpoch, setGlEpoch] = useState(0);
   const [glLost, setGlLost] = useState(false);
 
@@ -1722,15 +1723,12 @@ export default function VirtualGallery(props: Props) {
     []
   );
 
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setTexturesPending(0);
-  }, [hallKey, glEpoch]);
-
   const handleCanvasCreated = useCallback((state: { gl: THREE.WebGLRenderer }) => {
     const canvas = state.gl.domElement;
     // A freshly created canvas has a healthy context, so clear any lingering
     // "restoring" state from a previous loss/remount.
     setGlLost(false);
+    setCanvasReady(true);
     const onLost = (event: Event) => {
       // Prevent the default so the browser can restore the context, and
       // force a clean remount to obtain a fresh WebGL context if it does not.
@@ -1798,6 +1796,14 @@ export default function VirtualGallery(props: Props) {
     return buildHallLayout(paintings, periods);
   }, [isMovement, movementHalls, hallIndex, paintings, periods]);
 
+  const gallerySceneLoading = active && !glLost && (!canvasReady || texturesPending > 0);
+
+  const galleryLoadingMessage = !canvasReady
+    ? 'Loading gallery…'
+    : texturesPending > 0
+      ? 'Loading paintings…'
+      : 'Loading gallery…';
+
   const computedWindows = useMemo(() => {
     if (!isMovement || !interiorStyle || !('hallIndex' in layout)) return undefined;
     return computeSideWallWindows(layout as MovementHallLayout, interiorStyle);
@@ -2069,10 +2075,13 @@ export default function VirtualGallery(props: Props) {
         onPointerLeave={endCanvasDrag}
         onPointerCancel={endCanvasDrag}
       >
-        {active && texturesPending > 0 && (
-          <GalleryLoadingMarker overlay message="Loading paintings…" />
+        {active && (gallerySceneLoading || glLost) && (
+          <GalleryLoadingMarker
+            overlay
+            message={glLost ? 'Restoring gallery…' : galleryLoadingMessage}
+          />
         )}
-        {syncStatus && texturesPending === 0 && (
+        {syncStatus && !gallerySceneLoading && !glLost && (
           <div className="gallery-loading-overlay gallery-sync-badge">
             <p>{syncStatus}</p>
           </div>
@@ -2080,9 +2089,6 @@ export default function VirtualGallery(props: Props) {
         {!showExitNav && (
           <div className="gallery-exit-hint">{exitHint}</div>
         )}
-        {glLost && (
-          <GalleryLoadingMarker overlay message="Restoring gallery…" />
-        )}
         <Canvas
           key={`${hallKey}-${glEpoch}`}
           shadows