Martin Travers
Encyclopedia
Martin Travers was an English church artist and designer, whose name is often connected with the Anglo-Catholic
movement in the Church of England
, especially that part of the movement which favoured a return to the Baroque
style of church furnishing. He designed and constructed a number of spectacular Baroque reredos
es for various Anglican churches, usually employing affordable materials such as plywood
, whitewood
, papier mache and embossed wallpaper
to achieve the desired effect, which, regrettably, has meant that some of his work has not weathered well. Famous examples of his work in London are the reredos in St Mary's church, Pimlico
, and the remarkable Churrigueresque
altarpiece
in St Augustine's church, South Kensington
. As well as church furnishings he also designed much stained glass
, and, as a draughtsman, is perhaps best known for his illustrations for the booklets and cards published by the Society of SS Peter and Paul.
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
movement in the Church of England
Church of England
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England and the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. The church considers itself within the tradition of Western Christianity and dates its formal establishment principally to the mission to England by St...
, especially that part of the movement which favoured a return to the Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
style of church furnishing. He designed and constructed a number of spectacular Baroque reredos
Reredos
thumb|300px|right|An altar and reredos from [[St. Josaphat's Roman Catholic Church|St. Josaphat Catholic Church]] in [[Detroit]], [[Michigan]]. This would be called a [[retable]] in many other languages and countries....
es for various Anglican churches, usually employing affordable materials such as plywood
Plywood
Plywood is a type of manufactured timber made from thin sheets of wood veneer. It is one of the most widely used wood products. It is flexible, inexpensive, workable, re-usable, and can usually be locally manufactured...
, whitewood
Whitewood
Whitewood can be:*The wood of spruce trees.*A species of Seagrape, Coccoloba krugii*An endemic tree from the island of St Helena, Petrobium*An Australian rainforest tree, Elaeocarpus kirtonii*An Australian rainforest tree, Elaeocarpus obovatus...
, papier mache and embossed wallpaper
Wallpaper
Wallpaper is a kind of material used to cover and decorate the interior walls of homes, offices, and other buildings; it is one aspect of interior decoration. It is usually sold in rolls and is put onto a wall using wallpaper paste...
to achieve the desired effect, which, regrettably, has meant that some of his work has not weathered well. Famous examples of his work in London are the reredos in St Mary's church, Pimlico
Pimlico
Pimlico is a small area of central London in the City of Westminster. Like Belgravia, to which it was built as a southern extension, Pimlico is known for its grand garden squares and impressive Regency architecture....
, and the remarkable Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque
Churrigueresque refers to a Spanish Baroque style of elaborate sculptural architectural ornament which emerged as a manner of stucco decoration in Spain in the late 17th century and was used up to about 1750, marked by extreme, expressive and florid decorative detailing, normally found above the...
altarpiece
Altarpiece
An altarpiece is a picture or relief representing a religious subject and suspended in a frame behind the altar of a church. The altarpiece is often made up of two or more separate panels created using a technique known as panel painting. It is then called a diptych, triptych or polyptych for two,...
in St Augustine's church, South Kensington
South Kensington
South Kensington is a district in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in London. It is a built-up area located 2.4 miles west south-west of Charing Cross....
. As well as church furnishings he also designed much stained glass
Stained glass
The term stained glass can refer to coloured glass as a material or to works produced from it. Throughout its thousand-year history, the term has been applied almost exclusively to the windows of churches and other significant buildings...
, and, as a draughtsman, is perhaps best known for his illustrations for the booklets and cards published by the Society of SS Peter and Paul.