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SLHS: 0 - Wall Art Restoration

Head Of The Church

One interesting thing that has come out in recent years was that it was discovered that Christ’s head had not been obliterated by the work completed in 1962 but it still existed above ceiling level (see left).

Careful Modern Conservation

Year on year the state of The Doom was getting worse and so in 2016 conservators Richard Lithgow and Mark Perry were commissioned to carefully clean and consolidate it (see right). Cost nearly £100k.

● These items have aspects that uniquely contribute to national or world history.

The Doom being restored in 2016

Discovery In 1804

Internet Archaeology explains:

1. “In 1804 a survey of the Guild Chapel noted that its principal timbers were severely decayed and recommended the replacement of the roof with a new oak structure, consisting of a 'cove ceiling and plain cornice around'. The restoration that followed this report resulted in the re-facing of the south and east walls of the chancel, which the contemporary antiquarian, Robert Wheler, described as having been 'injudiciously modernised'.
   

2. However, the work also involved the stripping of plaster in the Chapel interior, which brought to light the sequence of the Holy Cross covering the north and south walls of the chancel, a Doom, or Last Judgement, over the chancel arch , and a series of saints in the alcoves of the nave and on the west wall which had been partitioned to form 'a kind of antechapel ... lately parted off from the nave by a screen which had previously separated the nave from the chancel'. Unfortunately, despite the significance of these discoveries, the paintings in the chancel were destroyed and the remaining paintings in the nave whitewashed over. The work also resulted in the alteration of the pitch of the nave roof which effectively decapitated the image of Christ sitting on a rainbow over the Doom.”
   

As a result

1. •In 1804 antiquarian Richard Gough Nichols commissioned renowned artist Thomas Fisher (1772-1836) to make a scrupulously accurate rendition of Doom -this wasn’t actually published until 1838. His son John Gough Nichols became Editor of The Gentleman’s Magazine (which recorded Puddephat’s work 140 years later).
   

2. •In 1804 Robert Wheler (1785-1857), who became a Stratford solicitor was amazed by it. He described it in his History And Antiquities of Stratford-upon-Avon of 1806 at the tender age of 21.
   

3. •In 1825 David Gee, of Coventry, published his renditions. He was also a fine Victorian artist.
   

In the end this final ‘clean up’ of the walls resulted in the second whitewash over the paintings. The first being as a result of the dissolution of the monasteries in 1536.

Restoration of the Guild Chapel in 1804, 1928 and 1955-1962

1928 First, But Not Ideal, Painting Protection

The V&A Museum acquired funds to pay Earnest WIlliam Tristram (1882-1952), Prof Art & Design at the RCA, to continue making his remarkable drawings of all British mediaeval wall drawings.

After considerable argument with central government more funds were acquired for him to carry out preservation of those walls most in need. In 1928 he came to Stratford and removed the white wash and sought to preserve what had been re-covered 120 years earlier. Internet Archaeology (intarch.ac.uk) goes on to explain..

1. “However Tristram's conservation efforts were less successful. His use of wax dissolved in turpentine as a fixative created an impervious surface which prevented damp from escaping through the lime-plaster surfaces and ultimately resulted in damage to the very paintings he sought to preserve.”

1955 Significant Guild Chapel Redecoration

The regular congregation had increased and discussions were had with the Town Council who unusually had responsibility for an ecclesiastical property. They commissioned Architect Stephen Dykes-Bower to carry out a significant modernisation. The tower and porch stonework were repaired, old box pews and upper gallery seating removed. The pulpit and organ were sold and the whole interior modernised. Wooden panelling was to be affixed to the walls and new illuminated choir seating was to be provided in the “Oxbridge” style. The whole interior to was to be finished by a complete redecoration of the walls. Ancient ones would be covered by wooden panels, some with hinges, but not painted over.

Puddephat Goes To Work

Wilfrid managed to get a stay of execution and spent hundred’s of hours drawing and documenting what he found. With his Art background and meticulous measurement style he is considered to be one of the founding fathers of modern mediaeval art documentation.

Avoiding Roof Collapse Leads To Wall Art Re-discovery

Attempted Preservation

Art Master To The Rescue

Next door KES’s Art Master, Wilfrid Puddephat, took a look at the works. Even the floors were to be lifted, underfloor heating system removed and flagstones laid. He was astounded that the great murals there were to be hidden again albeit by panels. Damp again would wreak its sorry damage.

Finally It Takes An Artist To Do A Good Job

Modern Renovation & Preservation

The builders removed the pulpit, pews and raised the upper seating area.

Puddephat was accurate in his documentation

The frescoes were in a poor state

Computer Visualisation

Anthony Masinton has placed this for viewing online (see left). To this model he has added a blue chancel ceiling, covered with gold stars, which was a common form of decoration in medieval times (access this model from link below).

The Chancel Channel

Following this renovation a student of the MSc Archaeological Information Systems course in the Department of Archaeology at the University of York, Geoff Arnott, built a 'virtual model' based upon 3500 scanned points and the work of the three documenters.

A completely virtual Chancel  2017

Joined panorama of photos showing the state of the Dance Of Death that Puddephat had to deal with

Geoff Arnot 1956

Puddephat worked whilst the builders dismantled

My Opinion

At first I failed to see whether the huge effort to produce an accurate visualisation could be much use. However, given the appalling state of the originals, it gives us a chance to see the documenter’s sketches in context and has perhaps enabled scholars to consider the validity of various orders that each section of the Legend Of The Holy Cross might have originally been in as it isn’t clear in their notes (see right).

Christ’s head still extant   Perry Lithgow  2006

Debate remains as to what order some panels may have existed

Removal Of Old Furniture And Modernisation

Work Completed Unaware Of Headless Christ

With a lot of expensive installation the work was completed in 1929. By careful observation of the middle picture below it is possible to see the new flat ceiling of 1805. Future generations, over a period of 200 years, were unaware that this cut off Christ’s head -until the most recent Modern Renovation (see below). On the computer simulation (even further below) you will notice the accurate original raked roof beams with Christ’s head intact.

The Nave and Chancel.  Notice the pulpit to the left and and organ to the right.

The Choir, Nave and upper raked seating.

The Nave. Notice the small font under the seating and the window is offset.

A New Look

In the light of the Guild Chapel’s Original Construction on this page comparisons will be made between each of the significant alterations made over the last 220 years.

How the Chancel may have looked

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