Wall Paintings in St Keverne
Parish Church
Painting of St. Christopher.
This painting occupies a prominent position as
usual upon the North Wall of the nave over the
North door and opposite to the South or principal
entrance.
The date is about 1480. The picture is enclosed in
an ornamented scroll border of elegant design. The
gigantic figure of Saint Christopher occupies the
main field of the painting.
He bears the infant
Christ upon his right shoulder and looks towards
Him, while with his two hands he grasps the
uprooted sapling that steadies him in fording the
river. He wears, as usual, a sort of turban, and
has a red mantle wrapped over the left shoulder,
the under-tunic being white and flounced below the
waist; and beneath this appear baggy trunk hose,
the legs below the knee being bare.
A number of
fish of various kinds are swimming in the stream.
On one of these, a large plaice, the orange spots
are realistically depicted. A heron is shewn
perched on a rock on the left bank.
This stream is depicted as flowing between
undulating banks with trees, on it a ship in full
sail, having a pennon streaming from the mast, and,
to the right of the spectator, is the hermit's
cell with a winding path leading up to it. This
cell has a small tower at one end with a door in
it, and a gabled roof, and below, on the margin of
the stream, is the usual figure of the hermit
holding out with both hands a lantern to light the
Saint across. Behind him are trees, one bearing
apples, and two rabbits peeping out of their
hole.
Around this main subject are eight smaller ones,
arranged in square panels, four on either side, and
forming a sort of inner border. I have no doubt
that the incidents depicted in these are taken from
the legend of the same Saint's life; but they
are unfortunately in a very mutilated state and it
is difficult to be quite certain as to what
incidents some of the scenes relate to.
The
uppermost on either side is half destroyed and the
second on the left hand has not been freed from
whitewash. The two lower panels on the left side
contain each a male and a female figure standing on
a tiled floor. Probably we have here the incident
of the two women sent by King Dagon to lead
Christopher into unchastity and idolatry. The woman
in one of these scenes wears an ermine-bordered
gown and the steeple head-dress so characteristic
of the ladies of Edward the IV's reign; and,
similarly, the Saint is attired in the short
jerkin, long hose and black shoes of that period.
In one scene he is carrying a club over his
shoulder, and in the other he grasps an uprooted
sapling.
Nothing can be made of the half-destroyed top
panel on the right. It appears to contain a small
seated figure and a larger one standing. The next
below represents the Saint bound to a great post
while King Dagon's soldiers (diminutive
figures) are shooting arrows at him: the arrows, in
accordance with the legend are shewn as hanging in
mid-air; but one is turning round and darting to
put out the eye of the wicked King, whose face can
be made out in the left of the picture. The fetters
round Christopher's ankles are very
distinct.
The third scene from the top appears to have
reference to Christopher as one of the race of the
Cynocephali, or dog-headed men, in which guise he
is said to have appeared at the gate of the city of
Samos. A monstrous white beast, with its head
thrown back, is apparently causing great wonderment
to the men of the city, three of whom can be made
out in the picture. According to the legend,
Christopher prayed that a sign might be given to
convert the people, and when he had planted his
iron staff in the ground it forthwith put forth
leaves and bloomed. No trace of this tree is
visible, however, in the painting.
The lowest panel in the right hand tier shews the
limbed figure of the Saint, as if in the act of
falling, while another smaller figure in a quaintly
shaped hat (not unlike Punch's traditional
headgear) is bending over him with a pair of
handcuffs or fetters. This probably represents the
incident of the collapse of the iron chair into
which Christopher was thrust by command of the
tyrant King, that he might be roasted over a slow
fire. The difficulty of deciphering these remains
of the painting is increased by the existence of
portions of a later piece of wall decoration
(probably a l6th or 17th Century text within a
frame or border) fragments of which still adhere to
the original painting.
I do not know of any other mural painting of St.
Christopher in which these "events" in
his legendary history are depicted in addition to
the main subject of his bearing the Christ: this
Cornish painting has therefore an unique interest
and it is perhaps worthy of note that the above
incidents are taken from the Greek form of the
legend.
Note:
In the last named panel there is also a fetter ring
fastened to the wall.
The Fresco of St. Christopher in St. Keverne
Church is unique in the kingdom as it represents a
legend not found in other paintings relating to
him.
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