DOI Artikel:
Park, David: The paintings in St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.50505#0068
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See T. A. Heslop, ’ "Dunstanus Archiepiscopis” and painting in
Kent around 1120’, Burlington Magazine, 126, 1984, 195-204.
The engraving, by James Cole, is in J. Dart, The History and
Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury and the once-
adjoining Monastery, London 1726.
The traces, on the north wall of the apse, were first recorded by
Mr P. M. Welford.
Although they are not shown in the engraving, Dart also recorded
the remains, in the corresponding position on the south side of
the apse, of an inscription ’partly defaced, Hoc altare, &c., &c.’
From this he inferred that there was a second altar, but this seems
unlikely, particularly in view of the single large altar recess at the
east end of the apse.
See C. M. Kauffmann, Romanesque Manuscripts 1066-1190 (A
Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 3) nos.
41-44, pp. 79-81.
Heslop, op. cit., 204.
Ornamenta Ecclesiae: Kunst und Kultur der Romanik in Köln (exhi-
bition catalogue, Cologne 1985), 2, no. E29, pp. 234-5. I owe
this comparison to Mr Christopher Hohler.
D. Kahn, 'The structural evidence for the dating of the St Gabriel
Chapel wall-paintings at Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury’,
Burlington Magazine, 126, 1984, 225-9.
R. M. Thomson, ’The date of the Bury Bible reexamined’, Viator,
6, 1975, especially p. 54.
I am particularly grateful to Mr Christopher Hohler and Mr Paul
Jolly for discussing the dating of the wall paintings with me; both
favour an early dating for those in St Gabriel’s Chapel.
The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury, ed. W. Stubbs
(Rolls Series), 1, London 1879, 3-29.
Kahn, op. cit., 225 n. 3.
E. W. Tristram, English Medieval Wall Painting: the Twelfth Century,
Oxford 1944, pls. 82-4; D. Park, 'The wall paintings of the Holy
Sepulchre Chapel’, in Medieval Art and Architecture at Winchester
Cathedral (British Archaeological Association Conference Trans-
actions, 6), pl. XVIB.
J. Hecht and K. Hecht, Die frühmittelalterliche Wandmalerei des
Bodenseegebiets, 2, Sigmaringen 1979, pls. 312, 314, etc.
Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 11.
For the Clayton and Coombes paintings, and other wall paintings
of the 'Lewes Group’ in Sussex, see D. Park, ‘The "Lewes Group”
of wall paintings in Sussex’, in Anglo-Norman Studies, 6 (Proceed-
ings of the Battle Conference 1983), ed. R. A. Brown, Woodbridge
1984, 200-35.
Tristram, op. cit., 104.
H. Howard, ’Blue Pigments in English Medieval Wall Paintings',
unpublished dissertation, Conservation of Wall Painting Depart-
ment, Courtauld Institute of Art, 1988, 15, ill. 16.
H. Howard, ’"Blue" in the Lewes Group', in Early Medieval Wall
Painting and Painted Sculpture in the British Isles, ed. S. Gather,
D. Park and P. Williamson (forthcoming).
For secco additions to the St Anselm’s Chapel painting, see
Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 11, and fig. 2.
24 E. Baker, 'St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral', Canterbury
Cathedral Record, 6.
25 See Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 9; F M. Allardyce, 'The paintings
of the legend of St Eustace in Canterbury’, Archaeologia Cantiana,
101, 1984, 122. For a general account of the use of wax, and its
effects, see S. Gather and H. Howard, 'The use of wax and wax-
resin preservatives on English mediaeval wall paintings; rationale
and consequences’, in Case Studies in the Conservation of Stone
and Wall Paintings (Preprints of the IIC Bologna Congress, 1986),
ed. N. S. Brommelle and P. Smith, London 1986, 48-53.
26 These repairs, which may also have dated from Neale’s time, are
well seen in O. Demus, Romanesque Mural Painting, London
1970, pls. 234-5.
27 H. J. Plenderleith, unpublished report, June 1952.
28 ibid.
29 E. C. Rouse, unpublished report, 1952.
30 H. Anderson, ’St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral’, unpubl-
ished report, 1965.
31 See Baker, op. cit., 4-7. For a fuller account of this type of
conservation treatment, including detachment and reattachment
of sections of painting, see D. Park and D. Perry, 'Rochester
Cathedral: conservation of the crypt vault paintings’, in Case Stu-
dies in the Conservation of Stone and Wall Paintings (Preprints of
the IIC Bologna Congress, 1986), ed. N. S. Brommelle and R
Smith, London 1986, 182-5.
32 The current members of the Committee are Mr Peter Burman
(Cathedrals Advisory Commission), Professor Peter Lasko, Mr
Peter Marsh (Architect to the Cathedral), Mr David Park (Courtauld
Institute), Miss Elizabeth Pye (Institute of Archaeology), and Dr. E.
Clive Rouse.
33 H. Anderson, op. cit., 1-2.
34 Baker, op. cit., 4.
35 Anderson, op. cit., 2.
Reference of illustrations
1-10 National monuments record, London; 11 Institut für Denkmal-
pflege (Tobias Trapp).
Summary
The Romanesque wall paintings of St Gabriel’s Chapel in the
crypt of Canterbury Cathedral are not only among the most
important of their period in England, but also pose significant
and interrelated conservation and art historical problems.
These problems - of original materials and execution, of previ-
ous restorations, of the relationship of the paintings to the
fabric and to the architectural history of the cathedral, and of
adverse environmental conditions - are fairly typical of the
current concerns of wall paintings conservation in England.
It is hoped that an exhaustive examination and analysis of
these various aspects will elucidate the causes of the present
deterioration of these important paintings, while simultan-
eously providing valuable information for analogous paintings.
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
66
See T. A. Heslop, ’ "Dunstanus Archiepiscopis” and painting in
Kent around 1120’, Burlington Magazine, 126, 1984, 195-204.
The engraving, by James Cole, is in J. Dart, The History and
Antiquities of the Cathedral Church of Canterbury and the once-
adjoining Monastery, London 1726.
The traces, on the north wall of the apse, were first recorded by
Mr P. M. Welford.
Although they are not shown in the engraving, Dart also recorded
the remains, in the corresponding position on the south side of
the apse, of an inscription ’partly defaced, Hoc altare, &c., &c.’
From this he inferred that there was a second altar, but this seems
unlikely, particularly in view of the single large altar recess at the
east end of the apse.
See C. M. Kauffmann, Romanesque Manuscripts 1066-1190 (A
Survey of Manuscripts Illuminated in the British Isles, 3) nos.
41-44, pp. 79-81.
Heslop, op. cit., 204.
Ornamenta Ecclesiae: Kunst und Kultur der Romanik in Köln (exhi-
bition catalogue, Cologne 1985), 2, no. E29, pp. 234-5. I owe
this comparison to Mr Christopher Hohler.
D. Kahn, 'The structural evidence for the dating of the St Gabriel
Chapel wall-paintings at Christ Church Cathedral, Canterbury’,
Burlington Magazine, 126, 1984, 225-9.
R. M. Thomson, ’The date of the Bury Bible reexamined’, Viator,
6, 1975, especially p. 54.
I am particularly grateful to Mr Christopher Hohler and Mr Paul
Jolly for discussing the dating of the wall paintings with me; both
favour an early dating for those in St Gabriel’s Chapel.
The Historical Works of Gervase of Canterbury, ed. W. Stubbs
(Rolls Series), 1, London 1879, 3-29.
Kahn, op. cit., 225 n. 3.
E. W. Tristram, English Medieval Wall Painting: the Twelfth Century,
Oxford 1944, pls. 82-4; D. Park, 'The wall paintings of the Holy
Sepulchre Chapel’, in Medieval Art and Architecture at Winchester
Cathedral (British Archaeological Association Conference Trans-
actions, 6), pl. XVIB.
J. Hecht and K. Hecht, Die frühmittelalterliche Wandmalerei des
Bodenseegebiets, 2, Sigmaringen 1979, pls. 312, 314, etc.
Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 11.
For the Clayton and Coombes paintings, and other wall paintings
of the 'Lewes Group’ in Sussex, see D. Park, ‘The "Lewes Group”
of wall paintings in Sussex’, in Anglo-Norman Studies, 6 (Proceed-
ings of the Battle Conference 1983), ed. R. A. Brown, Woodbridge
1984, 200-35.
Tristram, op. cit., 104.
H. Howard, ’Blue Pigments in English Medieval Wall Paintings',
unpublished dissertation, Conservation of Wall Painting Depart-
ment, Courtauld Institute of Art, 1988, 15, ill. 16.
H. Howard, ’"Blue" in the Lewes Group', in Early Medieval Wall
Painting and Painted Sculpture in the British Isles, ed. S. Gather,
D. Park and P. Williamson (forthcoming).
For secco additions to the St Anselm’s Chapel painting, see
Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 11, and fig. 2.
24 E. Baker, 'St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral', Canterbury
Cathedral Record, 6.
25 See Gärtner and Organ, op. cit., 9; F M. Allardyce, 'The paintings
of the legend of St Eustace in Canterbury’, Archaeologia Cantiana,
101, 1984, 122. For a general account of the use of wax, and its
effects, see S. Gather and H. Howard, 'The use of wax and wax-
resin preservatives on English mediaeval wall paintings; rationale
and consequences’, in Case Studies in the Conservation of Stone
and Wall Paintings (Preprints of the IIC Bologna Congress, 1986),
ed. N. S. Brommelle and P. Smith, London 1986, 48-53.
26 These repairs, which may also have dated from Neale’s time, are
well seen in O. Demus, Romanesque Mural Painting, London
1970, pls. 234-5.
27 H. J. Plenderleith, unpublished report, June 1952.
28 ibid.
29 E. C. Rouse, unpublished report, 1952.
30 H. Anderson, ’St Gabriel’s Chapel, Canterbury Cathedral’, unpubl-
ished report, 1965.
31 See Baker, op. cit., 4-7. For a fuller account of this type of
conservation treatment, including detachment and reattachment
of sections of painting, see D. Park and D. Perry, 'Rochester
Cathedral: conservation of the crypt vault paintings’, in Case Stu-
dies in the Conservation of Stone and Wall Paintings (Preprints of
the IIC Bologna Congress, 1986), ed. N. S. Brommelle and R
Smith, London 1986, 182-5.
32 The current members of the Committee are Mr Peter Burman
(Cathedrals Advisory Commission), Professor Peter Lasko, Mr
Peter Marsh (Architect to the Cathedral), Mr David Park (Courtauld
Institute), Miss Elizabeth Pye (Institute of Archaeology), and Dr. E.
Clive Rouse.
33 H. Anderson, op. cit., 1-2.
34 Baker, op. cit., 4.
35 Anderson, op. cit., 2.
Reference of illustrations
1-10 National monuments record, London; 11 Institut für Denkmal-
pflege (Tobias Trapp).
Summary
The Romanesque wall paintings of St Gabriel’s Chapel in the
crypt of Canterbury Cathedral are not only among the most
important of their period in England, but also pose significant
and interrelated conservation and art historical problems.
These problems - of original materials and execution, of previ-
ous restorations, of the relationship of the paintings to the
fabric and to the architectural history of the cathedral, and of
adverse environmental conditions - are fairly typical of the
current concerns of wall paintings conservation in England.
It is hoped that an exhaustive examination and analysis of
these various aspects will elucidate the causes of the present
deterioration of these important paintings, while simultan-
eously providing valuable information for analogous paintings.