Hartley Wintney St.

Mary’s Church
Wall paintings interpretation
Subjects

Identify subjects and offer for discussion where uncertain:

1. Above East Window: Saints and Dragons.

Saint George or Saint Michael above central window. Close up photo of shadowy head and
legs in armour. Dragon in ochre silhouette. Similar images from elsewhere.
The flanking angels are interesting, especially the one to the left where the outline figure in
knight’s kneeling posture is still visible. (A little investigation attempting to complete the
figure on a print out of the photo might help, and taking another round of high quality
photographs.)
Meaning: why have Saint George or Saint Michael above the altar?
What is the significance of the angelic figures either side?

2. North Window splays: East side: Saints and Dragons

Saint Margaret of Antioch. Identify image. Tell story and meaning, purpose of venerating
Saint Margaret, the Patron Saint for Childbirth in middle ages. Very important for women

3. Dedication of church? to Saint Mary the Virgin or Saint Mary Magdalen. The Virgin would
have been represented somewhere, either on the wall or perhaps a statue in the niche.
Perhaps St. Mary Magdalen would have been another figure painted on the Chancel
walls? If the church were originally dedicated to St Michael, as it is on a hill or mount?

4. Above arch into chancel: underneath the Testament Script there are layers of paintings.

The top layer the same script, but under that medieval paintings the upper appears to be
A Doom or Last Judgement with the Jaws of Hades. (Ann Ballantyne photo, and example
preface image in Rosewell Medieval Wall Paintings)
Underneath is an earlier painting which has a rising band or border that is typical of that
which surrounds a Christ In Majesty. (AB photo, and p.55 Rosewell.)

5. North Wall: Four Horses without riders but with harness, presumably pulling something
now lost, in front of arch or gateway. Not much currently known about these, so perhaps
a good place to show the pigments and techniques of wall painting. Also background
schemes of flowers and borders.

St. Christopher (skinny legs?) Explain popularity of large St. Christopher figures often placed
opposite a door, as patron Saint of Travellers. Give examples from elsewhere. Cf. Pridgeon,
Ch. 2, The Location of St Christopher's Wall Paintings, 124-?.
73% of all St Christophers studied by Pridgeon were on the north side of the nave, whilst
13% were on the south wall of the nave. All were opposite an entrance. p.148.
 Seven Deadly Sins, probably combined with the Seven Mercies; as the upper figures in the
scheme may represent this. Occasionally these two subjects were combined in one scheme,
although it is quite rare.
The most visible wall paintings and plenty to discuss in subject matter and to show what the
rest of the image was likely to have been.

Positioning of paintings

List types of associations

Symbolic
Spacial - Eg. north:Old Testament/south: New Testament. Cf. Pridgeon, Eleanor Elizabeth. Saint
Christopher Wall Paintings in English and Welsh Churches
c.1250-c.1500, pp.111-123.
Patronage. Pridgeon, 122.
Architecture (available wall space)
Connection with other media, eg. Windows/niches with statues
Annunciation was sometimes associated with openings, such as doorways, rood screens and
entrances. Pridgeon, 120.

Quality of original artwork

The drawing of the medieval figures is very good, not at all crude and executed by a skilled
draughtsman of figures, even if some of the figures are standardised images. Or possibly it may be
the same painter who produced the scheme of the Seven Deadly Sins here as similar elsewhere.
Worth investigating.

Pigments and techniques

1. Explanation of the pigments used, how sourced and processed. Earth pigments: ochre and
red earth, lamp or carbon black, read lead, lead white, lime white or chalk white. Map for
sources. Minerals and pigment powders in bottles/jars. Explanation of their qualities, such as
light fastness.
2. Techniques: dry secco painting on plaster not wet fresco technique. Cartoon/outline first,
then paint in layers, with which layers first. Binding media. Stencil flowers and scrolling
vines, snowflakes.
3. Tim Earney CCT volunteer, has studied the processes and meaning behind medieval
pigments and will help with project.

Resources

Reports from Dr. Clive Rouse and Anne Ballantyne.

1970s photos in Hampshire Record Office.
CCT photos on Asset Bank.
Medieval Wall Paintings by Roger Rosewell Boydel Press 2008.
Materials and Techniques of Painting by Prof Kurt Wehlte Van Nostrand Rheinhold 1970s
English Panel Paintings 1400-1558 by Audrey Baker Archetype Publications 2011