DOI Artikel:
Howard, Helen Catherine; Cather, Sharon: Romanesque wall paintings in the apse of St Gabriel's Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral: their technique, condition and environment reassessed
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.51142#0143
Romanesque wall paintings in the apse of
St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral:
their technique, condition and environment reassessed
Sharon Cather / Helen Howard
Introduction
Although the paintings in the apse of St Gabriel’s Chapel are
undoubtedly among the most important Romanesque wall
paintings in England, they are in many ways also the most
problematic: Their early date has recently been brought into
dispute; theirtechnique has been presumed to be ’fresco’; and
interventions to both the paintings and the environment have
been undertaken withoutan adequate understandingof either.
Given the close stylistic similarity to Contemporary Romanesque
wall painting in north Germany and the likelihood of similar
original technique as well as subsequent deterioration, it was
decided that a joint study of the paintings bythe Courtauld In-
stitute and the Canterbury Cathedral Wallpaintings Workshop,
together with the Institut für Denkmalpflege, Hannover, as part
of their overall BMFT-programme, would be highly desirable.1
Such an Investigation would not only clarify issues of dating
and technique crucial for an understanding of the devel-
opment of Romanesque painting in England, but would be
essential for determining a strategy for preservation of the
paintings.
Traditionally considered the earliest English wall paintings thor-
oughly imbued with Byzantine stylistic influences (particularly
in the modelling and damp fold draperies), the apse paintings
have been dated to the same period asthe emergence of this
style in Canterbury manuscripts, that is c.1125 - 30. But based
on a reading of the complex architectural evidence, there has
been a recent attempt to push their dating forward to c.1155 -
60, which has gained widespread acceptance. Clearly a resol-
ution of this considerable discrepancy is crucial for an under-
standing of the development of English Romanesque painting
in general, and of the role of Canterbury in particular.
Technical evidence for dating - the painting materials, their
application, and relation to the architecture - has not previously
been examined. Nor has the original technique been investig-
ated in detail either for what it can teil us generally about wall
painting methodsduring this period, nor specifically in relation
tothethree major Conservation interventions carried out on the
paintings from 1878 to 1972. Indeed, there has not previously
been anycomprehensivescientific Investigation of the original
technique of any ’great church’ Romanesque scheme in Eng-
land.
Despite the relatively recent major Intervention (1967 - 72), it is
clear that the present condition of the paintings gives causefor
concern. Although various remedial measures have been car-
ried outto thefabric, no comprehensive investigation has been
made to ascertain the effect of the environment on the pain-
tings. For this reason, much attention has been paid in the
present study to an assessment of the environmental factors
which may be contributing to the deterioration.
The paintings
The present fabric of Canterbury Cathedral was constructed
over several centuries: A Romanesque structure, begun in
1070, replaced the previous Anglo-Saxon building, and then
from 1096 -1126 its eastern end was entirely rebuilt (Plate 11;
Photo 1). St Gabriel’s Chapel, on the south side of the crypt,
forms part of this rebuilding (figs. 1,2). The chapel comprisesa
nave and an apse; the apse is a truncated semicircle with
groined semi-dome. There are two separate schemes of Ro-
manesque painting in the chapel:The earlier one -the subject
of the present study - survives in the apse, while the later
scheme is on the nave vault. Due to their context, extent, and
quality, the apse paintings are among the most important of
their period to survive in England.2
The Programme
An extensive and iconographically coherent scheme fills the
apse (Plate 11; Photo 2). It includes a Christ in Majesty (vault),
cycles of the Birth of Christ (south side) and Birth of St John the
Baptist (north side), the Seven Churches ofAsia and St John
the Evangelist (altar recess soffit), Prophet (west wall), Sera-
phim (buttresses), and Female Saints (entrance arch soffits),
with the dado zone painted with fictive jewelled draperies. Each of
the two infancy cycles is disposed in two registers and reads
from upper east, clockwise on the south and anticlockwise on
the north. That of the Baptist begins with the Annunciation to
Zacharias, continues with Zacharias appearing to the People
and the Birth ofthe Baptist, and concludes with the Naming of
the Baptist. That of Christ begins correspondingly with the An-
nunciation, continues with the Visitation and Nativity, and conc-
ludes with the Adoration of the Magi (?).
Irregulär and seemingly awkward vault shapes were ingen-
iously utilised to generate the disposition of the iconographic
Programme. Although the apse was originally semi-circular on
the exterior, on the interior itistruncated bythe arched altar re-
cess, resulting in a groin cutting into the semi-dome atthe east.
On this triangular groin is a Christ in Majesty in a mandorla,
supported by two flying angels painted in a separate bordered
field on the Western area of the vault. St Gabriel - messenger of
God, angel annunciate for both births, and dedicatee of the
chapel - links the two narrative cycles. He occurs on both the
north and south sides:firstreceiving instructionsfromtheenth-
roned Christ and then as the angel annunciate in each cycle.
The two events - instruction and annunciation - are separated
compositionally by the edge of the groin, Gabriel appearing
first facing east and then west.
Stylistic and architectural evidence for dating
Stylistically, the paintings are characterised bycrowdedcomp-
ositions, with panelled backgrounds and architectural ele-
ments, though without divisions between scenes, peopled by
squat, rather large-scale figures, with heavy facial modelling
and damp fold drapery. Sources for this style are ultimately
Byzantine, though recent scholarship has suggested that its
transmission to England was through the intermediaryof north
German or Flemish art.3 Significantly, stylistic parallels in var-
ious media, in both England and northern Europe, are datable
141
St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral:
their technique, condition and environment reassessed
Sharon Cather / Helen Howard
Introduction
Although the paintings in the apse of St Gabriel’s Chapel are
undoubtedly among the most important Romanesque wall
paintings in England, they are in many ways also the most
problematic: Their early date has recently been brought into
dispute; theirtechnique has been presumed to be ’fresco’; and
interventions to both the paintings and the environment have
been undertaken withoutan adequate understandingof either.
Given the close stylistic similarity to Contemporary Romanesque
wall painting in north Germany and the likelihood of similar
original technique as well as subsequent deterioration, it was
decided that a joint study of the paintings bythe Courtauld In-
stitute and the Canterbury Cathedral Wallpaintings Workshop,
together with the Institut für Denkmalpflege, Hannover, as part
of their overall BMFT-programme, would be highly desirable.1
Such an Investigation would not only clarify issues of dating
and technique crucial for an understanding of the devel-
opment of Romanesque painting in England, but would be
essential for determining a strategy for preservation of the
paintings.
Traditionally considered the earliest English wall paintings thor-
oughly imbued with Byzantine stylistic influences (particularly
in the modelling and damp fold draperies), the apse paintings
have been dated to the same period asthe emergence of this
style in Canterbury manuscripts, that is c.1125 - 30. But based
on a reading of the complex architectural evidence, there has
been a recent attempt to push their dating forward to c.1155 -
60, which has gained widespread acceptance. Clearly a resol-
ution of this considerable discrepancy is crucial for an under-
standing of the development of English Romanesque painting
in general, and of the role of Canterbury in particular.
Technical evidence for dating - the painting materials, their
application, and relation to the architecture - has not previously
been examined. Nor has the original technique been investig-
ated in detail either for what it can teil us generally about wall
painting methodsduring this period, nor specifically in relation
tothethree major Conservation interventions carried out on the
paintings from 1878 to 1972. Indeed, there has not previously
been anycomprehensivescientific Investigation of the original
technique of any ’great church’ Romanesque scheme in Eng-
land.
Despite the relatively recent major Intervention (1967 - 72), it is
clear that the present condition of the paintings gives causefor
concern. Although various remedial measures have been car-
ried outto thefabric, no comprehensive investigation has been
made to ascertain the effect of the environment on the pain-
tings. For this reason, much attention has been paid in the
present study to an assessment of the environmental factors
which may be contributing to the deterioration.
The paintings
The present fabric of Canterbury Cathedral was constructed
over several centuries: A Romanesque structure, begun in
1070, replaced the previous Anglo-Saxon building, and then
from 1096 -1126 its eastern end was entirely rebuilt (Plate 11;
Photo 1). St Gabriel’s Chapel, on the south side of the crypt,
forms part of this rebuilding (figs. 1,2). The chapel comprisesa
nave and an apse; the apse is a truncated semicircle with
groined semi-dome. There are two separate schemes of Ro-
manesque painting in the chapel:The earlier one -the subject
of the present study - survives in the apse, while the later
scheme is on the nave vault. Due to their context, extent, and
quality, the apse paintings are among the most important of
their period to survive in England.2
The Programme
An extensive and iconographically coherent scheme fills the
apse (Plate 11; Photo 2). It includes a Christ in Majesty (vault),
cycles of the Birth of Christ (south side) and Birth of St John the
Baptist (north side), the Seven Churches ofAsia and St John
the Evangelist (altar recess soffit), Prophet (west wall), Sera-
phim (buttresses), and Female Saints (entrance arch soffits),
with the dado zone painted with fictive jewelled draperies. Each of
the two infancy cycles is disposed in two registers and reads
from upper east, clockwise on the south and anticlockwise on
the north. That of the Baptist begins with the Annunciation to
Zacharias, continues with Zacharias appearing to the People
and the Birth ofthe Baptist, and concludes with the Naming of
the Baptist. That of Christ begins correspondingly with the An-
nunciation, continues with the Visitation and Nativity, and conc-
ludes with the Adoration of the Magi (?).
Irregulär and seemingly awkward vault shapes were ingen-
iously utilised to generate the disposition of the iconographic
Programme. Although the apse was originally semi-circular on
the exterior, on the interior itistruncated bythe arched altar re-
cess, resulting in a groin cutting into the semi-dome atthe east.
On this triangular groin is a Christ in Majesty in a mandorla,
supported by two flying angels painted in a separate bordered
field on the Western area of the vault. St Gabriel - messenger of
God, angel annunciate for both births, and dedicatee of the
chapel - links the two narrative cycles. He occurs on both the
north and south sides:firstreceiving instructionsfromtheenth-
roned Christ and then as the angel annunciate in each cycle.
The two events - instruction and annunciation - are separated
compositionally by the edge of the groin, Gabriel appearing
first facing east and then west.
Stylistic and architectural evidence for dating
Stylistically, the paintings are characterised bycrowdedcomp-
ositions, with panelled backgrounds and architectural ele-
ments, though without divisions between scenes, peopled by
squat, rather large-scale figures, with heavy facial modelling
and damp fold drapery. Sources for this style are ultimately
Byzantine, though recent scholarship has suggested that its
transmission to England was through the intermediaryof north
German or Flemish art.3 Significantly, stylistic parallels in var-
ious media, in both England and northern Europe, are datable
141