I went to Westminster Cathedral to attend the afternoon high mass in honour of Tom Phillips’s new mosaics in the Chapel of St. George the Martyr which commemorate the English Martyrs – and not just to attend the Mass, but to see the work itself. It’s very in character, part of the Cathedral’s commitment to commissioning mosaics from contemporary artists, including Tom and Leonard McComb:-
I also hadn’t seen, which I should have done, the very fine carving by Eric Gill, his last work, of Christ Triumphant in the same chapel:-
Where in the Cathedral are these Gills ? I’ve never seen them before. Thank you.
In the same chapel of St. George, second along on the east side. Charles
Prompted by this post and a short piece in The Tablet to pop in and visit this chapel today. The mosaics are very beautiful. I found it interesting that despite an intensely Catholic upbringing – and regular singing of Faith of Our Fathers – I can name very few of the English martyrs. But then that may be due to the fact that I was taught by Irish nuns.
Gill is so problematic, especially in the light of revelations of abuse within the Catholic Church. I’m not one of those people who feel that Gill’s work in the Cathedral should be covered up but I don’t think I’ll ever feel the same way about it, or enjoy it as much, as I did in my 20s.
Yes, I gather the Ditchling Museum is trying to come to terms with him too. Charles