How to Draw a Doom Painting

The Doom Painting of St Thomas'due south Church, Salisbury

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The Doom Painting of St Thomas's Church in Salisbury is the largest and best preserved in the UK. Painted around 1470, information technology was covered with lime whitewash during the Reformation and not seen once more until 1819. Now following its almost contempo restoration in 2019 it is back to its vibrant, detailed glory and is essential viewing for anyone visiting Salisbury.

The nave of St. Thomas's Church is decorated with this incredible Doom Painting – the largest and best preserved in England.

What Are Doom Paintings?

The theme of a Doom Painting, often merely chosen a 'Doom', is the Terminal Judgement. This is the last sentence by God of all people, and depending on how they lived their lives they would either ascend to sky or descend into hell.

Doom paintings were placed either at the rear of the church on the liturgical wall, or at the front of the church. At the front they were placed on the chancel arch so that the congregation could non avoid seeing and contemplating the imagery when looking forward during the service. If your heed wandered and your eyes strayed, the imagery above would accept quickly brought you back to focus on the sermon being delivered. The painting was a striking visual alarm of the fate that would befall you if you did not follow your religious instruction.

Doom paintings were once a common feature in the churches of England. Although all of them were painted over during the Reformation, near 60 have been restored. Some well preserved examples can be seen in the Holy Trinity Church building in Coventry, St Peter'southward church in Wenhaston, and Waltham Abbey. A list of towns in England with churches that have Doom paintings can exist found on Wikipedia. Just information technology is widely accepted that the finest surviving instance is that found in St Thomas's Church building in Salisbury, Wiltshire.

A close upwards of the chancel arch, and the upper section of the painting that depicts Jesus and his Apostles.

History and Restoration of St Thomas'due south Doom Painting

Painted by an unknown English language painter who was heavily influenced past the contemporary Flemish schools, it was painted around 1470 when the church building was undergoing expansion. After just over a century of dominating the church and the thoughts of its worshippers, it was covered up in the Reformation, obliterated past coats of whitewash. Information technology remained forgotten until 1819, when faint traces of color emerged during cleaning. It was uncovered, a drawing was made, and so for some reason it was recovered with whitewash.

In 1881 the whitewash was removed once and for all, and the painting restored. Again in 1953 the painting was cleaned and retouched. Only this did not halt the painting'south deterioration, painted pieces started to autumn abroad from the wall. In 2019 a 3 month restoration programme with 3 conservators has revived the painting considerably. One of the restoration techniques used involved injecting lime slurry backside areas where the paint was coming abroad from the wall. After being stabilised in this manner, touched in places where this was required the painting was covered in varnish. Photographs of the painting during while restoration was underway can be seen on Deep S Media'south Website.

The St Thomas Doom Painting

Here the painting fills the chancel arch and the spandrels. As with other doom paintings Christ is at the centre seated on a rainbow, with his feet on a smaller rainbow. His hands are raised. Both his hands and feet bear witness the signs of his crucifixion, with claret running from them. Behind him, angels hold the cross, his crown of thorns, a pillar, a sponge, spear and nails. Further backside the Kingdom of Heaven is the Star of the E and the Sun of Righteousness. To his right is the Blessed Virgin and to his left is John the Evangelist.

The painting continues downwardly the sides into the spandrels either side of the nave.

Seated in a row beneath Christ's anxiety are the twelve Apostles. They are 'sitting in sentence' of the twelve tribes of Israel.

What is beneath the Apostles, into the spandrels therefore lower down and easier for church-goers to encounter, are the stark warnings this painting was intended to convey.

On the left hand side nosotros run across a burial basis set in a green garden. The dead emerging are from their graves, helped by angels with trumpets. The dead at the lesser are emerging fully wrapped in shrouds. Some are casting off their shrouds while others are entirely naked, except for those with hats: a Bishop's mitre, a labourers hat and a crown. No one is beyond judgement. The angels are leading the groups of the naked into sky, gazing beatifically at their grinning faces.

A shut upwards of the left hand side spandrel, where you can encounter the righteous ascending into the Kingdom of Heaven.

Imagery on the right hand side of the nave contrasts markedly with that on the left. Here we come across the fate of evil sinners. Flames are rise from the ground where the dead are emerging, their bodies contorted in pain. Dragged out by demons, they are bundled together in chains and forced into the rima oris of a fiery dragon. The oral fissure of hell. His jaws held open up by two demons. They are also naked except for some with hats, a Bishop's mitre and two crowns. Many figures are depicted clutching their heads in desperation. An angel is trying to encourage them into the Kingdom of Heaven, but it is too late for them, they are whisked away by demons.

Local lore has it that one of the faces of sinners depicts Agnes Botthenham. She was the landlady of the Rydedorre (at present the Rai d'Or public house) in Salisbury. This was a house of ill repute where women are said to have hung out of the windows selling their wares. If Botthenham is indeed one of those amongst the sinners, this is a piffling unfair. She later repented and founded the Trinity Infirmary for the Poor in 1390, which is still in existence today as Salisbury Almshouses. You can see these on our Cocky Guided Tours of Salisbury, which we recommend starting at St Thomas'due south Church.

On the spandrel to correct of the nave nosotros see sinners existence dragged into the mouth of hell.

The demons are impish piffling things and quite different from those depicted in other Doom paintings. In others, demons are often large, hulking, clumsy beasts wielding pitchforks or turnspits. Here they are depicted every bit modest and agile, mischievous rather than evil personified.

The Prince of Darkness stands betwixt the Apostles and sinners, with the head and feet of a beast, one bird-similar foot peeking cheekily over the painting and onto the bare rock of the chancel arch. With his mitt perched coquettishly on his hip, he is being handed a drink past the only clothed sinner there, a woman with a whimple who seems to be hugging a demon. A ringlet at the bottom says Nulla est Redemptio – in that location is no escape for the wicked.

The whole painting is quite something to behold. And at present afterward its most contempo restoration in 2019, the pale colours have been transformed into vivid, detailed depictions of the Judgement. Information technology was restored in phases, starting with brushing off all of the grit and securing the painted plaster that had become discrete. Information technology was then cleaned with fine decorators brushes and sponges and a protective coat added. Hopefully it will at present final well into the side by side century, providing a must-see attraction for years to come for visitors to Wiltshire in southern England.

What Else is there to run into in St Thomas'southward Church?

St Thomas's church building is 1 of Salisbury'due south nigh important attractions. Besides the Doom Painting, there is much more of interest for visitors to see that tell the history of the church and the community information technology has served for some 800 years. Including a 16th century Lady's chapel, a Victorian font and a strikingly modernistic nave altar that was constructed in 2020.

Of detail note is the tricephalous Trinity – a carving of three faces in one. This feature was quite common in churches between the 15th and 17th centuries (See Examples on Churches in Northern France). In 1628 Pope Urban banned farther representations of the tricephalous Trinity. The case in St Thomas'southward was in fact rediscovered during the restoration of the Doom painting, and reported on the Diocese of Salisbury'southward Website.

There are in fact twenty other features of the church, all included in a Free, Online Guide produced by the staff at St Thomas's Church. The guide includes maps showing the location of each feature, with a brief account of each.

Visiting St Thomas'south Church

Where is St Thomas'southward Church building?

The Paris Church of St Thomas and St Edmunds is in Salisbury city centre. You tin find the verbal position on our Interactive Map of Archaeology and History Sites in England. The church is almost a 10 minute walk from Salisbury railway station. For those visiting past car, there is no parking available at the church. Three public car parks are close past and within like shooting fish in a barrel walking distance: Central Automobile Park, Old George Mall and Brown Street.

Opening Hours

The church is open up to visitors from 09h00 to "early evening", according to the website.

Entry Fee/Donate Online

Entrance is free, but a donation is requested. The Guild of St Thomas and St Edmund, a registered charity, has been set upwards to raise funds to renovate this internationally important medieval church. You can donate online to St Thomas'southward directly.

Official Website

Cafe & Wifi

On Tuesdays and Saturdays visitors can get tea and block in the People'southward Vestry. At that place are also a collection of second manus books to scan. And WiFi is bachelor in the church, free of charge.

How Accessible in St Thomas'south Church?

Although St Thomas's Church is a typical historic building, with low level light in some places and uneven floors, ramps have been installed to enable wheelchair users to access about parts of the church building. A hearing loop has been fitted for services and events.

Visiting Salisbury? If you are planning a trip to Salisbury in the English county of Wiltshire, bank check our Salisbury Travel Guide for History Lovers. Whether you are thinking of a mean solar day trip or staying for a few nights, nosotros have more suggestions and recommendations for your trip.

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Source: https://archaeology-travel.com/england/doom-painting-st-thomas-church-salisbury/

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