WMFB commences a new project at Winchester Cathedral to conserve elements of the seventeenth-century High Altar canopy.
The seventeenth and eighteenth century High Altar at the Cathedral consisted of a Laudian (Anglican High Church) timber canopy surmounted with an ensemble of carved drapery, cartouche and naturalistic festoons in the style of English wood carver, Grinling Gibbons. A James Cave watercolour dated 1801 shows this ensemble in position. Since then, as a result of changes in liturgical practice and fashions, the canopy arrangement has been disassembled and scattered to different areas of the cathedral with the carved drapery and festoons hanging, largely unnoticed and in a worsening condition, below the south transept crossing arch.
WMFB will support the conservation and re-presentation of the altar carving so that it can once again contribute fully to the story of the cathedral during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. This will involve discussions with the Cathedral Chapter and Fabric Advisory Committee to agree an approach to the work, cleaning and consolidation of the object, carving of some lost elements to improve the coherence of the piece and improvements to its positioning and interpretation within the Cathedral so that visitors can enjoy it once more.
David Esterly, a US based expert in the restoration of woodcarving of this period, comments that "the composition embodies the tensions and triumphs of English carving during this period, with its nod towards the dominant Gibbons style but its stubborn grip on the older, pre-Gibbons tradition. The work has great educational value, encapsulating as it does the history of carved decoration in Britain in the second half of the 17th century.'
The work will feature in our 2011 Mellon Lecture (details to follow), presented by David Esterly. We will have the opportunity to use the Cathedral as a venue for the lecture giving us a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the project and Winchester.
This project is generously supported by The Paul Mellon Estate and The Gilbert Butler Foundation.
