Previously undocumented wall paintings dating back more than 500 years have been uncovered within Stratford’s Guild Chapel – leading conservators to conclude it is one of the few places in Europe to have an almost complete medieval decorative scheme still in situ.
The Stratford-upon-Avon Town Trust writes:
The uncoverings were made this month by conservators currently working in the Chapel as part of the ongoing Death Reawakened project funded by Stratford Town Trust and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Thanks to the support from National Lottery players, to reveal, clean and retouch two of the best-preserved wall paintings within the Chapel – the Doom and Allegory on Death – is currently underway.
As part of the project, conservators also removed sections of the wooden panelling which covers much of the Chapel’s walls to determine the extent of painting preserved underneath.
And what they found has caused huge excitement – shedding light on medieval paintings covered up on orders given to Shakespeare’s father in 1563. Some of them have not been seen for almost 100 years, while other sections have never been adequately recorded in detail.
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