ROYALTY IN WAX

Greymouth Evening Star, 10 February 1934, Page 10

ROYALTY IN WAX

FAMOUS ABBEY EFFIGIES. It is surprising how few Londoners have ever visited the collection of wax effigies at Westminster Abbey. I have rarely come across one who knows anything about these treasures of a bygone art, though visitors from the dominions are far more likely to be well informed about these fascinating relics than local dwellers (writes Gwen Morton Spencer, in the “Sydney Morning Herald”). The authorities, at Westminster certainly do not seem to encourage curiosity about these effigies, which are housed in the upper story of Abbot Islip’s Chapel in the west corner of the Abbey—an out-of-the-way place, where few penetrate. An official of the Chapter House, ga *e me an explanation of this. He told me that at one time the admission fee to view these figures was the perquisite of the canons of the Abbey, and in the past some of them had abused this privilege by showing a grasping spirit in the matter. They treated it as a rare show, thereby offending the sense of dignity and' decorum of devout, persons, who resented the clement of greed that entered into the affair. When this state of things was remedied by the perquisite being taken away from individual church officers, the chu,rch authorities seemed to wish that these figures should be left in obscurity, and for many years they were severely neglected. Lately, however, there has been a revival of interest I in them, and the London Museum authorities have been commissioned to undertake a cleaning-up process of the figures. With the passage of time the old scandal in connection with their exhibition has died’ down, and this little upper chamber may yet become a place of popular pilgrimage. The custom of carrying a portrait of the deceased at the head of a funeral procession was a usual Roman practice, and in England this traditional ceremonial is at least 800 years old. Until the early eighteenth century, the custom of heading funeral processions with wax effigies was prac' tised in England, and it is these effigies, gorgeously attired and marvellously lifelike, that are preserved at Westminster Abbey.

INADEQUATE SETTING. Of. the eleven or twelve figures in this collection, five of them are of English monarchs, the remainder being peers or peeresses. They stand in glass cases round a tiny chamber, poorly lit, and quite inadequate as a setting for these remarkable figures. Each figu,re is an astonishingly vivid and lifelike piece . of work. As the originals were in life, so they are portrayed to us here. Where court painters softened unlovely features and added flattering touches to their portraits, the nameless artists who designed these images have allowed the truth to speak. Perhaps the most outstanding figure in the whole collection is that of Queen Elizabeth. This is a restoration made in 1760. with the original effigy as a basis. There is an inescapably haunting quality about this effigy. She gives the impression of a proud woman, tried almost beyond her strength. One is made aware of the high courage, the remarkable physical endurance that kept this stricken queen on her feet in spite of mortal

illness. Essentially lonely, thwarted' of a woman’s dearest hope, with the sorrows of death encompassing her, she yet faced life dauntlessly. The tragedy of it shows in this waxen figure, which is modelled from hei' death-mask.

She wetars a long stomacher hung with jewels. The velvet, goldembroidered' skirt is supported on wide panniers. Her feet are encased in pointed high-heeled shoes. Behind her' head is a high upstanding ruff, and' round her neck are four rows of immense pearls. William and Mary stand together in one case. The queen is about six feet high, and although William stands on a pedestal he is dwarfed by his consort. The king has an aloof and withdrawn expression. He probably had this character in the eyes of his subjects, since he had the barrier of language to overcome, which would naturally set him apart from the English in general. He seems to have been overshadowed by his wife, whose faces expresses a stronger personality. It is not a happy face. Was this Dutchman perhaps homesick for his Holland? Each, of these effigies teases the mind 1 with conjectures abou.t the hopes and fears and all the varied interests of these bygone monarchs. The queen is dressed in what was once purple velvet, now faded to a dull grey. But her visit to the cleaners, which is imminent, will doubtless restore tho original colour to her robes. Queen Anne is a plump and rather foolish-looking person with the air of a stupid child. Her magnificent robes of black velvet and ermine contrast with her pallid face and black hair.

Charles JI., who has just returned from the cleaners, lacks the dashing good looks of his painted portraits. He has a. melancholy, far-away expression in his dark brown eyes—which show with faithful exactness the slight cast that court painters were too servile to reproduce. The faultless profile of the Duchess of Richmond is seen on all our copper coins. It was she who sat as a model for Britannia, and her proud beauty inspired artists to paint her.. This effigy, which was made from her death-mask, shows her in later life, when time had somewhat blurred her contours.

The effigy of the Duchess of Buckingham is another of those that has already been restored and cleaned. When this delicate work was entrusted to the London Museum authorities, considerable misgiving was felt as to whether the clothing would survive the cleaning process. But, thanks to the skilful work of these experts, the results have been perfectly successful. The silks and embroideries have recovered a remarkable brightness of tone, and the laces —which' it was feared might fall to pieces—have been restored to their original freshness. ,