There has been quite a lot on the Medieval Religion discussion group today about the rediscovery of a significant series of wall paintings in the church of St Cadoc in Llancarfan in the Vale of Glamorgan in Wales. Dated by those working on the project to the 1480s these very impressive paintings which feature a very striking figure of St George slaying the dragon, as well as depictions of the Seven Deadly Sins can be seen in this BBC news story, with its accompanying video, here.
There is another illustrated recent BBC News post about the figures of the Seven Deadly Sins here.
Image:BBC
I understand from a post by Dr Madeleine Gray who has worked as a historian alongside this important conservation scheme that the church has nave and a
substantial south aisle with south chapel at the east end. The St George
painting occupies most of the south wall, the Deadly Sins go round the west end of the south
wall and onto the west wall. There is clearly undamaged paintwork remaining under the
limewash on
the west wall of the aisle north of the window and round to the north
wall of the aisle. At present the view is that these paintings depict the Acts of Mercy. There are
traces of paint elsewhere in the church, including over the chancel arch, but the conservator says the smooth plaster elsewhere in the building suggests
it has been renewed in the post-medieval period and therefore will not have any
surviving decoration. In addition there are also some post-medieval
texts ( part of one which has been left covers the castle and
princess in the St George painting) which may make it difficult to
justify exploring further. However I would imagine it would not be impossible to remove those later layers to presreve them and to reveal the medieval worlk underneath.
St Cadoc's definitely looks to be a church very well worth visiting - another one to go on the list of visits to make.
No comments:
Post a Comment