Photos of the Rare Norman Romanesque St Marys Kempley Fresco

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Photos of the Rare Norman Romanesque St Marys Kempley Fresco Art. Very Rare English Romanesque Paintings. Photos by photographer Paul E Williams.  (TIP – use the icons below the slideshow for thumbnail photos and info)

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Photos of the Rare Norman Romanesque St Marys Kempley Fresco Art Paintings

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Photos of the rare and most complete Norman Romanesque Fresco wall paintings of St Mary’s Church, Kempley, England.

An Extremely Rare Norman Romanesque Ensemble

Romanesque Fresco paintings are rare but Norman Romanesque Fresco paintings are very very rare indeed.

The Norman Romanesque church of St Mary’s Lies near the village of Kempsey in the Forest of Dean district of Gloucestershire, England.

As well as the oldest surviving timber roof of any building in Britain, dating from 1120-1150, St Mary’s Kempley also houses the most complete sets of Romanesque frescoes in northern Europe dating from 1120.

Few Romanesque Norman frescoes survive in England due initially to the demise and ruin of the Monasteries and their churches during the Reformation of Henry VIII, and the later destruction of church iconography by the Puritans under Oliver Cromwell’s command.

Between these two catastrophes much of English Romanesque art has been lost.

Founding of St Mary’s Church Kempley

St Mary’s Kempsey lies close to the border of Herefordshire and was probably built by Baron Hugh de Lacy in the 12th century after the Norman Conquest of England. Baron Hugh de Lacy, (r.1100–1135), of Longtown Castle, near Hereford, was the trusted counsellor of Henry I.

Fresco Paintings of St Mary’s Church Kempley

The style of the wall paintings in St Mar’s Church follow the style of Medieval Byzantine Art. Many knights that returned from the Crusades had seen and marvelled at Byzantine art, and on their return they wanted to adorn their churches with the same sumptuous wall painting style.

The barrel vaulted chancel of St Mary’s Church has a complete cycle of Romanesque paintings running up its walls, over the vault and down the other wall.

On each side of this vaulted chancel is depicted the Last Supper, with the Apostles lining each wall. Above Christ is depicted in Majesty also known as Christ Pantocrator. This iconic representation is typical of Byzantine icongraphy and shows Christ blessing whilst sitting surrounded by a madorla, and upright eye shaped panel , that makes it look as if Christ is looking down from heaven.

A row of six apostles is painted on either side of the chancel. Each apostle is framed by a decorated arch and the lavish decorated clothes they are wearing is again typical of the lavish decoration of the Byzantine style.

The overall effect of the Chancel paintings is of a muted fresco cycle that has faded with time but still hints at the lavishness of the frescoes when newly painted.

The survival at St Mary’s Kempsey church of early 12th century wall Romanesque fresco paintings and original roof timbers is remarkable.