Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Chichester (1901): A Short History & Description of Its Fabric with an Account of the Diocese and SeeCorlette, Hubert C. (Hubert Christian)
History
Bell's Cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of Chichester (1901): A Short History & Description of Its Fabric with an Account of the Diocese and See
Corlette, Hubert C. (Hubert Christian)
Chichester Cathedral
The canopied memorial to Bishop Durnford (1), [30] under which is a
recumbent effigy, forms part of the screen between S. Clement's
chapel and the south aisle of the nave. It was designed by Mr. Garner.
There are several tablets in the nave and aisles by Flaxman. The best
are those to the memory of Captain Cromwell's wife and daughter (2),
in S. Clement's chapel, and one on the north side of the nave, in the
chapel of the Four Virgins, as a memorial of Collins (3), the poet,
who was a native of Chichester. The two recumbent figures under the
arch leading into this same chapel are said to be those of Richard
Fitz-Alan, Earl of Arundel, and his wife (4). It was restored by
Richardson. Fitz-Alan was beheaded in 1397. Some say that these two
figures were removed from the chapel of the monastery of the Grey
Friars at the time of the Reformation, and were placed in their
present position in 1843, having been found embedded in the stonework
of the chapel wall close by. The base upon which the figures rest is
modern. The earl is represented in full armour. At his feet is a lion,
and at his head, under the helmet, is a coronet and a lion's head. At
the countess's feet is a dog, and her head rests upon two pillows.
[30] The figures in parenthesis refer to the numbers on the plan at
the end.
The most beautiful monument now remaining in the church is that which
is said to represent Maud, Countess of Arundel (1270) (5). The
modelling of the whole figure and the long flowing lines of her robes
are worthy of careful study. The whole pose and the disposition of the
two angels at the head arranging the pillows, with the two dogs upon
which her feet rest, have been finely conceived and well executed. The
hands are clasped over the breast, with the forearms bent upwards
slightly towards the face. On each of the long sides of the base
supporting the figure are six elongated quatrefoil panels, containing
in all six female figures and six shields. Between the quatrefoils are
winged heads of ten angelic figures. The blazoning of the shields is
entirely gone, and the brilliant colouring that once covered the
entire monument is only to be traced in a few places. The outer robe
still shows some signs of the rich blue with which it used to be
covered. The face of the figure appears to be badly mutilated, but the
damage to the features has been done principally by an endeavour to
preserve them. A thick coat of plaster had been placed over the face
to protect it from injury, perhaps in the seventeenth century or
earlier, and this was never completely removed. It had become
gradually polished like the material of the figure itself, and so it
remains, with a cut across it to represent a mouth. The remains of the
real face are still hidden beneath.
[Illustration: THE SACRISTY (SEE P. 90). _S.B. Bolas & Co. photo_.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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