Virtually all churches in England in the Middle Ages and up to the early 16th century had paintings on their wall. Not all had so many figure subjects as those found in Pickering Church but most had some.
They were painted to decorate plastered walls and there were two objectives in carrying out this work. The first was devotional and the second to teach.
Up to the end of the 15th century there were no printed books and hand written religious books that existed were rare and owned by only a few. Thus it was not possible to learn the teachings of Christ or the lives of the saints from books. In a small market town such as Pickering most inhabitants would also be illiterate and as the language of religious services would be in Latin they would not comprehend what was said at the high altar.
The parish priest could use the paintings to teach his flock about the Bible, about saints and general morality. Paintings such as these were referred to as the ‘Biblia Pauperum, the ‘Poor Man’s bible and can be considered as a visual aid to help the congregation assimilate basic teachings.
People in villages and small towns needed help to understand the paintings and exaggerations were used to help unravel the meanings of the paintings. For example good people have haloes; those with authority have appropriate headgear.
Bad people –wicked rulers, torturers, assassins, executioners – are drawn with distinctive features, hooked noses, swarthy complexion, evil expressions. Even types of clothing sometimes indicate position, rank and authority.
People in villages and small towns needed help to understand the paintings and exaggerations were used to help unravel the meanings of the paintings. For example good people have haloes; those with authority have appropriate headgear. Bad people –wicked rulers, torturers, assassins, executioners – are drawn with distinctive features, hooked noses, swarthy complexion, evil expressions. Even types of clothing sometimes indicate position, rank and authority.
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The narrative sequence of this scene is a little confusing. There is one long trestle table on a tiled floor depicting Herod’s feast but the eight seated figures are four people depicted twice. The crowned bearded figure is Herod Antiphas and the crowned female is his bride Herodias. The story starts above the arch with John rebuking Herod for his unlawful marriage and on his left Salome carries out a tumble dance. The next part of the story takes place on the left of the painting where Salome holding a dish watches the beheading of John. From there she moves to the centre of the scene and ......The head was brought in on a dish and given to the girl; and she carried it to her mother. (Matt 14:10-11,New English Bible)
This painting ilustrates two important features of medieval wall paintings – the compression or running together of several incidents of a story into one scene and the importance of costume. Characters are put into contemporary costume. This enabled the medieval men and women to recognise rank,status and somrtimes occupations.
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Edmund was born 841 and died November 20th 870. He was King of East Anglia at the age of fourteen and he was a Christian. In 869 the Viking army which had conquered Northumbria marched through Mercia into East Anglia. Edmund engaged them in battle and according to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle he was killed on the battlefield. The version of his death which became popular was that as a martyr who refused torenounce his faith or hold his kingdom as a vassal from heathen overlords. The story is embellished with detail about Edmund’s flight and his rejection of an ultimatum. Edmund, in this legend, declared his religion was dearer to him than his life and that he would not purchase his life by offending God
This image had suffered damage caused by tablets fixed to the lower part of the scene but sufficient survived to make a complete restoration.
The painting includes a scroll which declares the virtue of St. Edmund and invokes a blessing.
Heaven blys to hes mede. Hem shall have for his gud dede.
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The representations of St George and St Christopher (next to him) are the largest figures on the walls.
Legends about St. George date from the 6th century and he became revered in England from the 8th century. He was probably not recognised as the patron saint of England until the rule of Edward III (1312-1377). By the 15th century and up to the Reformation he appears to be well known throughout England.
He represented a type of manly Christian virtue and people ‘used’ him to say their intercessions for men folk who were engaged in fighting and struggle.
He is shown in full armour and is in the act of killing the dragon by thrusting his spear into its mouth. The painting appears to have been damaged before the church restoration of 1875-78 but sufficient traces remained to help Mr Jewitt complete the scene.
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This scene is an impressive depiction of the life of a very popular martyr and is in four horizontal bands. She was venerated in the eastern Mediterranean from before the 10th century and became popular in the west from the time of the Crusades until the 18th century. She was the patron saint of virgins, women, students, philosophers, preachers, wheelwrights, and millers. Hers was one of the voices Joan of Arc claimed to have heard.
What is told of her life is mostly composed of legends which have many variations and little historical basis. The most popular account was that she was the daughter of Costus, the governor of Alexandria and was born in 282 AD and was converted to Christianity as a student. Catherine was eighteen when Maxentius, the Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire started persecuting Christians and the painting tells the story of Catherine’s reaction in a form similar to a modern strip cartoon.
The first band shows Catherine rebuking Maxentius and preaching against the worship of idols and she is put into prison. The second tells how fifty philosophers were sent to oppose her but they were converted and martyred with Catherine watching this from prison. She is then taken out, flogged. In the third band she is put back into prison and there she is visited by Maxentius’ wife, Faustina, Catherine succeeds in converting her and an accompanying soldier (in the legend she converts at the same time two hundred soldiers). Faustina and her companion are executed and Catherine was sentenced to be killed on a torture instrumnet of four wheels (hence the firework, the ‘catherine wheel’). Two angels appear and break the wheel and its spikes flew off killing bystanders. The emperor watches from his throne. The final band depicts her end. She awaits her execution and is beheaded. This final band had been badly damaged by a funerary monument place over it before the paintings were revealed (One of the holdfasts is still in the wall.) There was little left of this scene. The officer with his sword, an angel’s wing and part of the emperor’s head was all that remained and thus this band is a complete reconstruction.
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The first on the left – The Garden of Gethsemane
This shows Jesus healing the ear of Malchus which Peter had struck off. Peter is in the act of sheathing his sword
( There is a line separating this image from the rest of the story of the Passion. Either the 15th century painter or one of Mr Jewitt’s assistants placed the break in the wrong place.
Jesus before Pilate
Pilate is seated on a throne with a sceptre, representing his authority. Christ is held by an attendant. Pilate is shown with a black face. (People in villages and small towns needed help to understand the paintings and exaggerations were used to help unravel the meanings of the paintings. For example good people have haloes; those with authority have appropriate headgear. Bad people –wicked rulers, torturers, assassins, executioners – are drawn with distinctive features, hooked noses, swarthy complexion, evil expressions. Even types of clothing sometimes indicate position, rank and authority.
The Scourging of Jesus
One man is wielding what could be a birch and the second is using a knotted or leaded whip. To the right of this section is part of Jesus carrying the cross.
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The Resurrection
This is the final scene in the series that make up the Passion. Christ emerges from a sarcophagus holding a sceptre to show his authrity Perhaps the medieval congregation of Pickering would have misinterpreted Christ coming out of a rock hewn tomb. Two angels are present either side of him and a soldier falls back in amazement. Who is the person who standing behind Christ there is no clue to his identity. Possibly he is another soldier because he has a helmet similar to the one who falls.
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