WALL-PAINTINGS

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 155, 29 December 1936, Page 14

WALL-PAINTINGS

FOUND IN THE ABBEY

SIX CENTURIES OLD

During the cleaning operations that have been proceeding at Westminster Abbey, some medieval wall-paintings have come to light which must rank among the most important discoveries made in recent years, writes Professor E. W. Tristram in "The Times."

A considerable amount of colour and gilding was found about three years ago on the figures of censing angels and of St. Edward and the Pilgrim which are carved high up on the south wall of the south transept. Evidences of colour treatment which appeared after these traces had been found gave some promise of further discoveries, but it was not until the walls afr the back of the arcading which surrounds the lower part of the transept were reached that the promise was amply fulfilled. On.the south wall outside the chapel of St. Faith two subjects were uncovered, monumental in scale, and undoubtedly dutstanding examples of the work of the Westminster School in the latter part of1 the thirteenth century. Traces of colour in other bays, and gold and colour on the arch mouldings provide evidence which shows that these subjects, were part only of a scheme of painting which at that time embraced- at least a considerable part of this transept. NINE FEEX HIGH. One of these two paintings depicts St. Christopher, a standing figure over 9ft high, clothed in a tunic and mantle, the colour scheme being of purple, blue, and .yellow, on a bright green background. On the shoulder of the saint is the Child Christ, holding an apple. In a partly T mutilated description the following words are decipherable:— "Xpoforum quia . . . quern portat hinc facit omnipotens." The other jsubject, the Incredulity of St. Thomas, is executed in purples and greens, on a vermilion background diapered with crimson fleurs-de-lis. Christ bearing the vexillum, places the hand ■of the kneeling figure of St. Thomas against the wound in His side. The figure of Christ is of monumental size, being, like that of St. Christopher, 9ft in height. Even after the lapse of six centuries and a half the paintings are well preserved, especially in the case of the Incredulity of St. Thomas, which is in a remarkable state of preservation. Its colours are still rich arid luminous, and originally must have been brilliant in hue. At the period when the work was executed, about 1280, the painter of greatest importance was Master Walter, of Durham. It is known that he worked in the Painted Chamber of Westminster Palace from about the year 1262, and that he.decorated the Coronation Chair about 1300-1301. He is also said to have painted the tester above the tomb of Queen Eleanor, and it is probaWe that the subject on the base of the tomb, of which some traces ot colour remain, was from his h^ush. THE KING'S PAINTER. There are grounds for the supposition that he painted the fine figures of Virtues which formerly existed on the splays of the windows in the famous Painted Chamber. Faithful records of these were fortunately preserved, and reconstructions of them may be seen in the House of Commons. Kesemblance not only in general-style, but in certain details, between these paintings and those recently found, lend considerable force to the supposition that in these new discoveries in the Abbey Church we have exmnples of the handiwork of Master Walter, who held the office of King's Painter and was one of the most famous of English craftsmen in the late thirteenth and early fourteenth centuries, a period when the influence of English work was extensively felt on the Continent,