Medieval Doom painting in St Mary's church, Cropredy, discovered during the restoration of 1877. Sadly in pretty poor condition, but an important piece of medieval church art.
"In the usual position over the chancel arch are remains of what must have been a fine 15th century Doom. It was discovered many years ago and was, unfortunately, varnished with unhappy results. The central portion with the seated Christ with hands uplifted and the dead rising from their graves below are distinguishable as well as a group of the redeemed on the left approaching the heavenly city; on the right it is more fragmentary, but the jaws of Hell are visible. There is a wide range of colours in which red, green and yellow predominate. On the wall of the north aisle is a solitary standing male figure in secular attire who may well be part of a St. Christopher scene, probably a fisher on the banks of the river. Apart from the Doom and this figure all the plaster has been removed from the walls with unhappy effect and probably grievous loss of paintings."
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visit link) [Mediaeval Wall Paintings in Oxfordshire Churches, By E. T. LONG. 1972. p95]
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Painting history and significance: the imposing parish Church of St Mary the Virgin, Cropredy, preserves significant medieval painting. The largest and most notable is a 15th-century Doom, which occupies its customary position above the chancel arch on the nave east wall. Despite its very poor condition, this is exceptionally important. Although its iconography includes expected late- medieval motifs, a highly unusual if not unique feature is the reversal of the normal positioning of the Virgin and St John the Baptist on either side of Christ. Stylistically and technically the painting is of high quality, and can be closely compared with the celebrated late-medieval Doom at Coventry. Decorative painting on the adjacent roof timbers, which includes the rare depiction of two dragons, is also highly important, since so little such painting now survives in English medieval churches. Fragments of painting in the north aisle and the chancel attest to the presence of high quality schemes in other parts of the church in the late-medieval period. A previously unrecorded area of painting was found adjacent to the Doom on the nave north wall.
Conservation context: discovered in the 19th century, the Doom’s condition is now extremely grave, due mainly to the failure of past preservation attempts. Obscured by a discoloured non-original coating and accumulated dirt, the severity of its condition – and its significance and quality – have been overlooked. A programme of roofing repairs begun in the second half of 2016 allowed access to the painting for the first time in its recent history, permitting its re-evaluation. Rickerby and Shekede made a site visit on 25 October, 2016 to provide initial advice. A fuller condition assessment and technical examination were recommended, which were carried out from 5–6 January, 2017, with subsequent analysis and research carried out thereafter. The opportunity was also taken to assess the other surviving medieval paintings in the church.
Examination and investigation components: the condition assessment and technical examination establishes potential risks to the paintings based on evaluation of: current condition; original technology, the nature and impact of added materials; damage and deterioration phenomena; and the role of environmental factors. The painting assessment was mainly achieved by visual examination and other non-invasive measures; in addition, 5 paint samples were taken for microscopic analysis and micro-chemical testing.
Original technology: Cropredy’s Doom is distinguished by a lavish palette and sophisticated application techniques. Applied in oil, pigments are richly blended and layered, to achieve effects of luminosity and transparency. This typifies painting practice of the period, as influenced by techniques originating from the Continent. The selective use of gold marks out the painting as exceptionally rich. The present Doom is the third medieval painting in this location. The concealed schemes also have rich palettes. There are significant technical differences between the three schemes: paintings 1 and 2 are executed on lime-based grounds using a glue medium, producing matte painting effects; painting 3 conveys more saturated and brilliant colour effects in an oil medium. Painting on the nave roof, although simpler in execution and now much altered, incorporated bright white and red lead pigments, and lead tin yellow, making for a bold scheme. Painting in the north aisle and chancel, although not examined in detail in this study, were clearly also originally executed to a very high standard.
Physical history: the Doom has been badly affected by chronic structural loading issues. It’s physical history is defined by renewal in the late-medieval period, of concealment at the Reformation, of rediscovery in the 19th century, and by subsequent efforts at preservation, which led to its severe and comprehensive deterioration."
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visit link)