VSS ST STEPHEN'S CHAPEL
MINUTES
A meeting held at HRC on Friday 16 January 2015, 9.30am
Present: Tim Ayers, Elizabeth Biggs, Patrick Gibbs, Louise Hampson, James Jago,
Anthony Masinton. Apologies: James Hillson
1. Minutes of the Last Meeting. These were approved.
2. VSS, Upper Chapel.
AM reported on progress with the reconstruction (marked on the following
revised Prioritization List).
TA reported on discussions with Charles Tracy (stalls), Christopher Norton
(floor) and Jane Spooner (tiles); and on meetings to review the virtual interior:
- Tues, 27 Jan, 9.45-11.45, HRC, York: Stuart Harrison
- Fri, 13 Feb, 11.00-4.00, Palace of Westminster: Tim Tatton Brown, Jeremy
Ashbee (and perhaps John Crook and Jill Atherton, both now invited)
- tbc, London, Christopher Wilson
Briefing Document. We reviewed the draft briefing document ‘Digital Modelling
of St Stephen’s Chapel’, which will go out to those attending meetings to review
VSS. TA thanked LH for her help with the draft. We agreed that the document
should have an introductory section, for all attendees, and then a customized
agenda for each different group, according to their expertise. TA and LH will
draft these for circulation and discussion asap.
For the meeting with Stuart Harrison, we agreed: to review our proposed
principles for the digital reconstruction (in the light of his experience of such
reconstructions), and to focus upon the problems of interpretation and
reconstruction posed by evidence for clerestory, vault and roof. We will supply:
- Briefing document
- VSS: Elevations, in high resolution, and the panorama (to be updated to
include the clerestory passage and the three windows in the eastern wall)
- Sources: List of roof parts from the accounts. Plates and commentary
from the Mackenzie volume.
For the meeting with TTB and Jeremy Ashbee, we agreed: to review our
proposed principles for the digital reconstruction, in light of their experience of
such reconstructions, focusing upon levels of uncertainty; and access and
movement around both the actual palace site, and the online site:
- Briefing document
- VSS: Elevations, in high resolution, and the panorama (to be updated to
include the clerestory passage and the three windows in the eastern wall)
Timetable. We discussed AM’s visit to London, to BM. LH has written to Mark
Collins about photography of kings from Westminster Hall. We discussed other
materials that we need before work can resume to finish the medieval interior
(see revised Prioritization List). For this work, C&C time is allocated in the last
two weeks of March, and in April and May. We agreed to aim to complete work
by the end of May, to leave enough time to set up the display in Westminster
Hall, by 30 June.
3. Website
Blog. JJ reported on the recent addition of a new entry, and on plans for the next
few months, one a month from here on in. We discussed inviting the Italians
working on the Ravenna project to contribute. ACTION: JJ
It was agreed that we should include a news item on the visit to the bones in the
Museum of London, including reference to medieval people of the chapel; our
link with MoL; and possibility of future research (keep it vague, as an aspiration;
Jelena will have to fit it in around her other work). ACTION: EB
Social Media. EB reported on traffic, and the retweeting community.
Resources on Restricted Access Pages. This requires attention, to incorporate the
resources that are already available, and to gather together others that are now
known to us, for the benefit of other project members.
- ACTION: PG to upload as soon as possible the folders with images from
Mackenzie 1844, Smith 1807 and Topham 1795; also the folder of
watercolours by George Stokes in the Museum of London (taken by TA);
and the folder of medieval paintings in the British Museum (taken by TA).
(If you lack any of these, please let me know as soon as possible.)
- ACTION: JJ offered to gather resources to enhance the Archival Sources
section, linking to online resources at: BM (includes watercolours by John
Wykeham Archer) and V&A (includes material on discovery of
Lyndwood’s tomb).
- ACTION: EB offered to report back on resources that she finds in the City
of Westminster Library.
4. Living Heritage Pages. TA reported that this lay currently with Mark Collins.
5. Next Meeting. Monday, 2 Feb. 2015, 9.30am
TA 15i15
Prioritization List (annotated 16i15)
*Detailed comments from TA and JH. Where possible, please implement.
Lighting
- *Adjust to a plausible angle (currently north light source?). Done
- Candle-light, to give an idea of reflections from gilding? To investigate
Side elevation (lower parts).
- *Detail. We discussed how much to include. It was agreed that a bit more was
desirable, to give an impression, especially close to the position of view: eg.
heraldry below lower frieze, in the eastern bay (at least); foliate capitals below
the corbels for the tabernacles. Much work has been done, but awaits
implementation.
- *Two doorways. Eastern bay. To be completed
- *Tabernacles (inhabited). It was agreed to consider tabernacles at Edington
priory. To be completed. The Gloucester ones are free-standing, having looked at
them again, so may not be suitable (I have detailed drawings).
- Sculpture. To be photographed, including the Flawford Madonna, and perhaps
sculptures from Westminster Hall, in January. We could investigate the cast
courts, V&A, where items may be accessible. Flawford under way, by Gordon
Plumb. LH investigating Westminster kings. Perhaps Cologne Cathedral for the
Apostles? TA to ask Paul Williamson?
East wall (lower parts).
- *East window tracery. Follow St Anselm’s Chapel at Canterbury. Do you have a
good enough photograph (Flickr?)? AM to send draft to JH and TA. It would help
to have this before meeting with Christopher Wilson.
- *Altar. Add a Purbeck altar slab. AM has altar
- *Paintings. See below.
- Reredos. Consider the screen-like vestibule at west end of St Stephen’s, or the
Neville Screen at Durham. Much smaller: the Sutton Valence altarpiece, V&A?
Bits recorded by John Wykeham Archer (BM collections, online). TA to consult
Christopher Wilson
West wall.
- *In general, mirror aspects of the east wall, including two tabernacles, to left
and right, and the upper part of the east window, flanked by panelling. Below, a
double doorway can be included, based on the view of the exterior of this
entrance (see Brayley and Britton; Mackenzie). The wall bench went around on
to the west wall, according to Brayley and Britton. To do. It would help to have
this before meeting with Christopher Wilson.
Screen and stalls.
- *We await AM’s reconstruction. It would help to have this before meeting with
Christopher Wilson. Please include two altars against the west side of the screen,
one on either side of the entrance into the choir.
Floor.
- In Purbeck, with one step at sanctuary. TA to speak to Christopher Norton on
the best design. TA to send CN’s drawing
Stained glass.
- AM to explore blurriness for coloured images (see Crowland). TA to prioritize
models. AM to investigate haziness in ’Assassin’s Creed Unity’. TA to make
further recommendations.
Figurative Paintings.
- *East wall. lower paintings. Now (largely) supplied; a few sons of Edward III
missing at left side. Done
- *South wall: angels. Now supplied (in so far as they exist). We discussed
whether to run them all the way round the chapel. We agreed to try this, to
prompt responses from our consultees. If not, perhaps just a textile pattern?
- *North wall. Now supplied, two military figures from the niches on lower
window splays. To replicate around the chapel
- South and north wall. Job and Tobit. Await photography of Smirkes at Soc.
Ants (January, with luck). We agreed to convey the general aesthetic effect,
of bright and variegated colour on a small scale, with large areas of text.
Polychromy.
- *TA to ask Jane Spooner for help with the vermilion and blue colours. AM’s visit
to the BM in January will help. Done.
- Window splays. Leopards need to be represented, but where? It seems clear
that they alternated with lilies on the east window splays, at least. I am sending
two views of the latter. We agreed to alternate leopards and fleurs-de-lis in the
splays of the east window; and to alternate them by window on the side walls.
Furnishings.
- We will need to return to liturgical equipment, books, fabrics. EB has a list of
books and a ref. to vestments. To do
Clerestory level.
- *Clerestory passage. To do before meeting with Stuart Harrison
- Windows. OK for now. For discussion.
- Vault. OK for now. For discussion. What alternatives? JH to consider.
- East wall. OK for now. The area above the east window will be discussed in
relation to the exterior. Add the three small windows before meeting with Stuart
Harrison
Vestibule
- *It would be good to make a start. We have a lot of visual information: Brayley
and Britton, pls XI, XVI, XXIX; Mackenzie; one of the Stokes watercolours I sent
through the other day from Museum of London.