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Death Reawakened
THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
THE CHAPEL
The Guild Chapel of the Holy Cross stands at the corner of Church
Street and Chapel Lane in the heart of Stratford-upon-Avon.
While the the chapel is thought to date to the foundation of the
guild itself in the late 13th century, the current building retains
substantial evidence of its 15th century appearance. The chancel
was remodelled in c. 1450, while the nave, north porch and west
tower were entirely rebuilt by the mason, Thomas Dowland, in
the 1490s. This work was largely financed by the wealthy Stratford
merchant, Hugh Clopton (1440 -1496), a former mayor of London,
who also left funds in his will for the refurbished building to be
decorated with wall paintings.
Above: View of the north front of the chapel showing the grand Perpendicular
windows of the nave. Centre: An interior view looking along the nave towards
the remains of the The Doom over the chancel arch.
Right: A reconstructed view of the paintings on the north wall of the chancel
using a 19th century coloured lithograph (by Thomas Fisher) mapped onto a
digital model of the wall created by Kate Giles, Anthony Masinton and Geoff
Arnott, Department of Archaeology, York University (2012).
Over the centuries the wall paintings have suffered considerable
damage and loss. However, enough survives to make clear their
artistic quality and historical significance. The chapel remains one
of the finest examples in Europe of a purpose-built medieval guild
chapel, as well as a fascinating example of mercantile arts patronage
in late medieval England.
CONTEXT
A little over 60 years after their completion, records state that
the paintings were ‘defaced and limewashed’ in 1563 under the
supervision of John Shakespeare, the father of the playwright, who
was at the time, chamberlain of the Corporation of Stratford.
While some were simply covered over, others were actively scraped
away, probably including much of The Dance of Death (also known
as the Danse Macabre), The Life of Adam and The Holy Cross
cycle.
Debate remains as to whether this decision should be viewed as an
iconoclastic response to shifts in the religious climate, or rather a
symptom of the chapel’s near-redundancy following the Dissolution
of Chantries and Colleges a decade before. It is telling that, soon after
this, the chancel was partitioned to make multiple living quarters
which were rented out by the Guild Corporation. In a time of limited
religious usage, limewashing may therefore have been a practical
way to limit upkeep costs.
What is clear is that over the coming century, as the Protestantising
influence grew and aesthetic tastes shifted, multiple limewashes
were applied to the walls. Two later paint schemes of architectural
decoration followed in the 17th and 18th centuries, as well as
various architectural alterations which ensured that the surviving
late medieval paintings remained hidden into the 1800s.
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THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
ICONOGRAPHY
It is easy to forget when looking at the largely plainly finished surfaces
of the chapel today that, for those entering the building in the early
16th century, the walls would have been a riot of colours with wall
paintings covering most of the nave and chancel.
Continuing this theme on the lower north wall was a fascinating
portrayal of The Dance of Death. Arranged in two horizontal tiers
(approx. 10m long by 2m high), individuals from every social rank,
including kings, clergy, merchants, and even children were shown
being led away by grinning personifications of Death.
The subject of mortality and the transitory nature of earthly glories
was further developed in the rare allegorical scene on the lower
south side of the west wall, which presented the poem ‘Erth Upon
Erth’ demonstrating the popularity of such memento mori in an age
of plague and conflict. Below seven stanzas of verse a feathered
angel stands over the grave of a corpse wrapped in a shroud and
surrounded by skulls, bones and worms. The scene was framed by
grand contemporary buildings (possibly representing earthly pride)
while, on either side, stood two figures with another verse reminding
readers of the suffering for sins which follow death.
The paintings presented biblical, historical and allegorical scenes
which were intended to convey a serious and sobering message to
parishioners, stressing the inevitability of death and judgement and
the importance of preparation for a good death.
On entering the chapel, parishioners were first confronted with an
ornate and monumental Doom (or Last Judgement) over the chancel
arch. At the top of the scene Christ was presented in Glory, seated
on a rainbow and flanked by the Virgin, St John and angels carrying
instruments of the Passion. With his right hand, Christ encouraged
the Saved up to Heaven, while to his left, the Damned entering Hell
were graphically portrayed.
Figures of saints were painted in the niches between the windows
of the nave, surrounded by architectural tracery and corbels which
were also richly polychromed. Only some of these figures have been
tentatively identified, including Saint Ursula and the Anglo Saxon
abbess, Saint Modwenna, shown with a cat and mouse at her feet
(west niche south wall). The Virgin and the Crucifixion were also
painted in niches towards the west end.
On the upper part of the west wall (south side) there was a graphic
portrayal of the murder of Thomas Becket, with blood spouting from
the martyr’s neck and, to the north, St George slaying a winged
dragon. Immediately below this, the subject matter is contested,
but some scholars believe that the female figure sat atop a manyheaded beast represented The Whore of Babylon, often used as a
personification of Evil.
Records of the nave south wall painting are less clear, but are thought
to have included scenes from The Life of Adam, and a boar hunting
scene. On the north and south walls of the chancel ten scenes from
The Legend of the Holy Cross were presented, although it is thought
that little of these survive below the modern render.
19th and 20th century artist impressions of the surviving wall paintings
including The Doom (bottom left), the allegorical scene Erth Upon Erth (above)
and the Murder of Thomas Becket (right).
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Death Reawakened
THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
GUILDS & WORKSHOP PRACTICE
MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUE
Throughout the medieval period the work of church painting was
closely controlled by two guilds, the Painters and the Stainers. In
1502 the guilds amalgamated to form the worshipful company of
Painter-Stainers, which exists to this day. Large numbers of people
were involved in this trade as all buildings, including churches,
cathedrals, palaces, castles and domestic houses, would have
been painted. There would therefore have been a major industry
in the manufacture of pigment and painting materials, as well as
the execution of the paintings themselves.
Understanding of technique relies on recent investigations into the
Erth Upon Erth scene at the west end of the chapel, and it can be
assumed that those throughout the nave were executed in a similar
way. Although no medium analysis has been undertaken, it seems
likely that the limestone walls were first prepared with a sealant,
possibly an oil, before application of the first preparatory layer. This
consisted of a thick layer of white lead with particles of carbon
black, above which, in many areas, there was a ground of pure
white lead. No underdrawings have been observed but, in raking
light, fine incised lines were revealed for the setting out of scrolls of
text.
Judging on stylistic and archaeological grounds it seems likely
that the Stratford-upon-Avon Guild Chapel wall paintings date to
a single period in the late 15th or early 16th century. The names
of the artists who executed the works remain a mystery. Indeed,
it is extremely rare to find documentary references to individual
painters or their guilds outside of London during the late medieval
period. Although one community of 15th century painters in nearby
Coventry has been recorded, there is no documentary evidence of
their involvement here.
The quality of artistry is revealed in surviving details such as the face of
a female saint, possibly St Modwenna (south nave, west end), and the
allegorical figure (above).
Paint would then have been applied in a series of layers and details,
such as the shading of cheeks and the delicate colouring of eyes,
demonstrating the high degree of skill with which this was carried
out. Pigments included red lead and vermilion for lips and feathers.
Analysis of a blue used for eyes was confirmed as indigo in white
lead. Outlines were painted in carbon black, and the green windows
of buildings were painted with a synthetic copper green.
While not quite of the quality of art associated with the Royal
Court, the paintings of the Guild Chapel are sophisticated, both
in materials and artistic detail, suggesting that an experienced and
skilled workshop was employed. Moreover, given their patron’s
strong links to London, the artists no doubt drew on specific
metropolitan sources for a number of scenes, notably The Dance
of Death in the cloister of Old St Paul’s Cathedral. This itself would
have been influenced by examples of the subject in the cathedrals
of continental Europe.
The range of pigments and style of painting indicates the use of an
organic binding medium, such as oil, and it does not appear that
any of the paintings were originally varnished or coated with other
organic materials.
Interestingly, in contrast to the nave, the lost paintings in the chancel
were believed to have been painted on plaster, however, there is
little evidence to suggest that painting methods or materials would
have differed greatly from those outlined above.
Above: detail of bright red lettering from a stanza of the poem in the allegorical
scene and cross section of a sample taken from the lettering. A rich layer of lead
red and vermilion were applied over lead white and carbon black.
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THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
ARCHITECTURAL CHANGES
Many of the late medieval wall paintings re-emerged in 1804 when
decayed roof timbers prompted a major phase of renovation. A new
lower pitched roof was installed with a coved plaster ceiling and
layers of limewash and plaster were stripped from many walls. This
revealed The Holy Cross cycle in the chancel, The Doom and a
series of saints in the niches, as well as various scenes on the west
wall. Due to the retention of pews in the body of the nave, the north
and south walls remained undisturbed.
Further Victorian renovations followed, including the installation
of a new organ and a large wooden gallery which projected out
from the west wall (c.1835). These caused extensive damage to
the scenes of the murder of Thomas Becket and St George and the
Dragon.
The only area of surviving painting (at ground level) deemed
important enough to warrant the use of opening panels, in order to
allow inspection, was the very fine allegorical scene on the south
side of the west wall, which managed to escape so much of the
damage seen elsewhere.
In 1955, the 19th century
woodwork was removed
revealing the remains of the
paintings on the north and
south walls for the first time in
several centuries. However,
due to their very poor legibility
and fragmentary nature, these
were once again hidden
behind wood panelling.
The current appearance of the building owes much to this major
renovation by Stephen Dykes-Bower (1955-62), which also resulted
in the re-facing of stonework and rebuilding of the north porch. The
chancel appears to have been replastered at some point during the
20th century, but it is believed that little, if any, of the medieval
paintings survive beneath this.
Despite some recognition of their significance, the chancel paintings
were largely destroyed during this work, perhaps because they were
already severely damaged, and the plaster substrate on which they
were painted was easy to remove. Those exposed in the nave were
simply re-limewashed, probably as early as 1807.
In the case of The Doom, the new ceiling effectively bisected the
covered painting, cutting off the nimbused head of Christ and a
series of angels, while the lower portion was further damaged by
the erection of prayer boards over the whitewashed arch.
Above: detail of an angel from The Doom above the position of the nave ceiling, Above top: Photo of the west end gallery as seen in 1955 prior to renovations.
which is now within the roof space.
Above right: Photo taken during the 1955/56 works which exposed the remnants
of The Dance of Death painting on the north wall. [Puddephat]
Above: detail of the allegorical scene on the west wall (south side), which is
partially hidden behind an opening wooden screen.
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Death Reawakened
THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
ANTIQUARIAN INTEREST
Given their unusual subject matter, the paintings and their
iconography have been the subject of numerous studies since the
early 19th century and many interested parties came to see the
newly revealed paintings in 1804. Among them was Captain James
Saunders (d. 1830) who created a series of miniature watercolour
sketches of The Legend of the Holy Cross, as well as the antiquarian,
Robert Bell Wheler (1785-1857), who offered a descriptive account
of their subsequent destruction and set out the iconography of the
surviving paintings in the nave (published 1806).
The Doom remained covered in whitewash until the early 20th
century, when its rediscovery provided E.W. Tristram (1882 1952) with an opportunity to record and conserve it. Tristram, the
Professor of Art and Design at the Royal College of Art, created two
scaled watercolours of The Doom and hypothesised the use of oil
as the medium for the paintings in the nave and chancel arch. He
also treated the painting (below the ceiling level) with a wax-based
preservative treatment, which was typical of the period.
Well aware of these earlier discoveries, Wilfrid Puddephat (19151974), who was the Art Master at King Edward VI Grammar School,
sought to examine the paintings on the north and south walls of
the nave before their concealment during the 1950s refurbishment.
He embarked on an ambitious programme of recording which was
published and presented in a series of notes, lectures and drawings,
now housed in the Shakespeare Centre Library and Archives.
Puddephat took detailed measurements and photographs, as well
as scale drawings. His greatest achievement was to disentangle
The Dance of Death scheme from two later schemes of painted
architectural decoration, drawing on other medieval depictions of
the scene to recreate the lost areas.
Perhaps most important was the work of antiquarian, Thomas Fisher
(1772-1836), who is often credited with the uncovering work, and
who created a detailed series of 16 hand coloured lithographs.
These included a plan of the chapel and scaled elevation drawings,
which aimed at a faithful replication of the paintings in their present
state of preservation, although regrettably with no accompanying
descriptions. Frustrated by contemporary copyright obstacles,
Fisher’s lithographs were only published, after his death, by his friend,
the editor of The Gentleman’s Magazine, John Gough Nichols, in
1838.
Above: Fisher’s drawing of scences on the north wall of the chancel from The Holy
Cross cycle, which are thought to have been largely destroyed.
Above: E.W. Tristram’s watercolour sketches of The Doom.
Right: Wilfrid Puddephat measuring fragments of surviving wall painting on
the north wall. Puddephat’s reconstructed view of The Dance of Death, was
based upon his meticulous surveying of the surviving wall painting and drew
on other surviving sources of similar depictions.
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THE WALL PAINTINGS OF THE GUILD CHAPEL, STRATFORD-UPON-AVON
CONSERVATION PROJECT AIMS
CURRENT CONDITION AND CONSERVATION
Despite previous scholarship having acknowledged the international
significance of the Guild Chapel wall paintings, their partial
destruction in the 19th century, and the concealment of some areas
by architectural alterations in the later 20th century, frustrated efforts
to bring them to public attention.
Following its uncovering from beneath the later paint layers the
painting of The Doom was treated in the 1920’s by E.W. Tristram
with a waxy material, and has consequently darkened due to the
discoloration of the coating. Water penetration through the walls
and the unstable environment in the chapel has also caused flaking
of the paint and ground layers, as well as salt efflorescence disrupting
and disfiguring areas of the surface.
Since 1994, detailed studies of both the condition of the surviving
wall paintings and the environmental conditions in the building
have been undertaken, in order to determine how best to conserve
the paintings.
In recent years, repairs have been made to the building so that it is
watertight and the main underlying causes of deterioration are under
control. The aim of the proposed treatment, which, it is hoped, will be
undertaken in 2017, will be to stabilise insecure areas of the paintings
to prevent further loss, and to remove or reduce surface coatings to
improve their legibility and appearance. In the case of the Erth Upon
Erth scene this will involve the uncovering of the hidden areas at the
bottom of the painting and the removal of the 20th century panelling
to reveal the full surviving painting.
A project is now underway, both to conserve and treat the paintings
and to increase public awareness and engagement, so that they can
be better appreciated and understood within the historical context
of medieval Stratford-upon-Avon.
William Shakespeare’s Stratford home, ‘New Place’ (in which he
died in April 1616) is situated opposite the Guild Chapel and, while
the defacement of the paintings took place a year before his birth
(1564), like all educated people of the time, he would have been
familiar with the subject matter, not only the Christian iconography,
but also with the portrayals of death.
Above: Condition mapping of the allegorical scene highlighting areas of
microbiological activity and overpaint. Centre: Details of the current appearance
of The Doom (above) and Erth Upon Erth (below). Right: a montage of images to
demonstrate the full extent of the surviving painting, much of which is currently
hidden behind wooden panelling
Conditions on the Erth Upon Erth scene differ from The Doom.
Perhaps 20% of the painting remains hidden below numerous layers
of limewash and overpaint and some important details, including
the body of the main demon and architectural elements, are covered
by the framework of the panelling.
The chapel welcomes thousands of visitors each year, and is maintained
by the Stratford Town Trust with the support of The Friends of the
Guild Chapel. The work to conserve both the chapel itself and the
wall paintings is funded entirely from charitable sources and your
help in supporting this would be greatly appreciated. Donations to
support the work can be made to the Stratford Town Trust (14 Rother
Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, CV37 6LU) or left in the
box by the north door.
The fragments of red overpaint are typical of 19th century schemes
and are currently flaking badly and, where well adhered to the Further information on the chapel and the wall paintings can be found
original paint layers below, may cause loss of this as well. There at http://www.stratfordtowntrust.co.uk/guild-chapel/
has also been microbiological activity in the past in the upper right
hand side of the painting, potentially relating to unstable and high
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relative humidity levels, although the underlying causes now appear
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Tel: 01789 207111 Email: [email protected]
www.stratfordtowntrust.co.uk
stratforduponavontowntrust
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Stratford upon Avon Town Trust is a registered charity (number 1088521)