More Chapel Details...
As You Can see, Dear Readers, I found a few more places in The Chapel murals that needed some work before I could declare them complete. The above picture shows a narrow edge of unfinished wall tucked behind the central column at the Chapel's side. The column, when put in it's final location, would conceal this edge from the view in the front opening side wall. But if the viewer happened to be looking in through the Great Hall Doorway to the Chapel... this unpainted section is clearly visible!
As you can see from this angle looking through that doorway.
(The Chapel would not be this brightly lit.... but still...
that unfinished corner would bug me!)
Here that corner has been painted.... you can see
the Central Column is not in place in this shot.
Here you can see the close-up with the Column in place...
the shadow of the post obscures the painted area,
but the white would have been visible.
And the view from inside The Great Hall
with the Central Column in place.
I am so glad I thought to look
before I had glued the Column in place!
Here you can see the Last Judgement portion of the ceiling
waiting for me to paint those demons in the lower corner.
Here you can see the piece of trim that
"goes around the corner" and sits at the top of the wall.
The demons need to seem to be climbing out of the fiery earth....
And while I am working on those Demons,
I noticed that I still had not painted the second layer of green
for the grass throughout this scene... so I got right to it!
Here it is half painted.... it adds such a layer of richness
and intensity to the painting!
And here the grass has been done and I am working on the Demons.
I found it surprisingly difficult to paint the demons!
They just aren't my usual imagery
and I don't have a thing for ghoulish.....
I had to study my reference books to get me going....
As with all these images.... they are very small...
but need to make a powerful statement...
Here are the two on the ceiling panel.....
And with the trim panel held in place so you can see them together.
I do think the red one is my best....
And I hope you are not surprised, Dear Readers,
to learn that I noticed a few more unfinished details
while contemplating those demons.
They sit directly above an array of Saints' portraits
which arch over the main doorway.
Those Saints were painted years ago...
back at the very beginning of the Chapel construction...
but which Saints are they?
I had to go back into my archives to discover their names.
And as with many things Medieval, I wanted
to incorporate their names into their picture
so future viewers would know who they were seeing up there.
There are plenty of examples of Illuminated texts
with this sort of clue added to the pictures,
so I felt bold enough to try it for myself.
The hard part, is that this is the right hand wall....
I could not get my right hand in at the right angle to do the lettering.
I had to use my left hand, even though I am right handed!
It was slow.... very slow and very careful work
using my micron black ink pen.
The wall surface is annoyingly rough
and the letters are small...
freehand, no pencil or sketching...
just wing it!
But I got it done!
And now you know their names.
And yes, the arched door frame is still not glued in place...
it sits patiently waiting for the final moment.
And while looking more carefully at the already "finished"
trim panel above the Madonna and Child painting
(the very first part of the Chapel to be started...)...
I happened to notice some of the red paint
on those red and gold arches was lamentably pale...
and had clearly Not received a second coat of paint
all those years ago!
I am so glad I noticed now while the access is easy!
Here it is completed.
The differences is subtle... but real!
And how could I ignore the Crucifixion painting, Dear Readers,
where the figure of Mary is painted partly on one wall
and partly on the next.... and they don't quite meet accurately!
Alas, this is that dreaded right hand wall....
I cannot get my right hand to paint at that angle.
Or so I thought!
I was able to get the paintbrush snaked between
the candlestick and the wall to add just a tiny sliver
of white paint to extend Mary's cloak around her head....
and added the blue layer before
remembering to take any pictures.....
but here you can see it shapes her face better this way.
I also added the lettering to the scroll at the top of the Cross
(again, using my left hand).
And then I added detail to the eyes and mouth on Mary.
Just the tiniest dabs of darker colors.
But now she can clearly "see".
And the blood of Jesus's wounds.
This painting is very difficult to see
from the outer side of the Chapel...
so I contented myself with these
layers of detail and left the rest alone.
Which brings us to putting all the parts together
and seeing how it looks.....!
Here is the Chapel with the flash...
I never think the flash does it justice...
perhaps we should try it with just the candles lit?
Here is the inner Chapel with just the candles
(and daylight too) showing the Crucifixion panel...
And the Moses panel... I know...
outside of the inner chapel you can't see much...
So I have added the flash...
here is the Nativity and Crucifixion side
along with the Last Judgement over the doorway.
And the Altar with the Madonna and Child
and God in Heaven above,
between the Moses and Crucifixion panels.
And closeup on The Crucifixion panel...
And closeup of the Moses panel and much of the Noah panel
which stands outside the inner Chapel...
And the Adam and Eve panel
below the Creation scenes on the ceiling...
And another look at the Last Judgement
scene with the Demons..... have I missed anything...?
Heavens, Dear Readers,
On closer inspection
I do believe I have finished
the Chapel painting details!
(With the exception of the
Opening Wall doors that is....)
