Saint George and the Dragon (painting)
Encyclopedia
Saint George and the Dragon is a mural
in the chapel of Farleigh Hungerford Castle
, Somerset
, England
.
, a former Speaker of the House of Commons
, expanded his castle at Farleigh Hungerford
considerably. The extension to the castle enclosed the former parish church
, which became Walter's castle chapel, with a replacement church being built in the village instead. Walter had the chapel decorated with a number of mural
s, depicting scenes from the story of Saint George and the Dragon
; Saint George was a favoured saint of Walter's patron, Henry V
, and associated with the prestigious Order of the Garter
, of which Walter was a proud member.
The chapel fell into ruin in the early 18th century, only being restored in 1779. The murals were then rediscovered in 1844, and the castle and chapel became a 19th century tourist attraction. The castle began to pass from private ownership into the hands of the Office of Works
from 1915 onwards. Attempts were made to preserve the wall paintings in the chapel during 1931 and 1955, but the treatments, which involved the use of red wax
, stained the paintings and caused considerable damage: the wax was removed in the 1970s.
The castle and chapel are now owned by English Heritage
and the chapel painting is open to the public. Historian Simon Roffey describes the painting as a "remarkable" work.
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
in the chapel of Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Farleigh Hungerford Castle, sometimes called Farleigh Castle or Farley Castle, is a medieval castle in Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England. The castle was built in two phases: the inner court was constructed between 1377 and 1383 by Sir Thomas Hungerford, who made his fortune working as a...
, Somerset
Somerset
The ceremonial and non-metropolitan county of Somerset in South West England borders Bristol and Gloucestershire to the north, Wiltshire to the east, Dorset to the south-east, and Devon to the south-west. It is partly bounded to the north and west by the Bristol Channel and the estuary of the...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Details
Between 1430 and 1445 Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron HungerfordWalter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford
Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford KG was an English knight, landowner, from 1400 to 1414 Member of the House of Commons, of which he became Speaker, then was an Admiral and peer....
, a former Speaker of the House of Commons
House of Commons of England
The House of Commons of England was the lower house of the Parliament of England from its development in the 14th century to the union of England and Scotland in 1707, when it was replaced by the House of Commons of Great Britain...
, expanded his castle at Farleigh Hungerford
Farleigh Hungerford Castle
Farleigh Hungerford Castle, sometimes called Farleigh Castle or Farley Castle, is a medieval castle in Farleigh Hungerford, Somerset, England. The castle was built in two phases: the inner court was constructed between 1377 and 1383 by Sir Thomas Hungerford, who made his fortune working as a...
considerably. The extension to the castle enclosed the former parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
, which became Walter's castle chapel, with a replacement church being built in the village instead. Walter had the chapel decorated with a number of mural
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
s, depicting scenes from the story of Saint George and the Dragon
Saint George and the Dragon
The episode of Saint George and the Dragon appended to the hagiography of Saint George was Eastern in origin, brought back with the Crusaders and retold with the courtly appurtenances belonging to the genre of Romance...
; Saint George was a favoured saint of Walter's patron, Henry V
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, and associated with the prestigious Order of the Garter
Order of the Garter
The Most Noble Order of the Garter, founded in 1348, is the highest order of chivalry, or knighthood, existing in England. The order is dedicated to the image and arms of St...
, of which Walter was a proud member.
The chapel fell into ruin in the early 18th century, only being restored in 1779. The murals were then rediscovered in 1844, and the castle and chapel became a 19th century tourist attraction. The castle began to pass from private ownership into the hands of the Office of Works
Office of Works
The Office of Works was established in the English Royal household in 1378 to oversee the building of the royal castles and residences. In 1832 it became the Works Department within the Office of Woods, Forests, Land Revenues, Works and Buildings...
from 1915 onwards. Attempts were made to preserve the wall paintings in the chapel during 1931 and 1955, but the treatments, which involved the use of red wax
Wax
thumb|right|[[Cetyl palmitate]], a typical wax ester.Wax refers to a class of chemical compounds that are plastic near ambient temperatures. Characteristically, they melt above 45 °C to give a low viscosity liquid. Waxes are insoluble in water but soluble in organic, nonpolar solvents...
, stained the paintings and caused considerable damage: the wax was removed in the 1970s.
The castle and chapel are now owned by English Heritage
English Heritage
English Heritage . is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport...
and the chapel painting is open to the public. Historian Simon Roffey describes the painting as a "remarkable" work.