A detail of the Doom, as restored by Richard Lithgow and Mark Perry, 2016 (Perry Lithgow)

The Doom was uncovered and conserved in 1929 by the wall painting expert E.W. Tristram.

Modern conservators Richard Lithgow and Mark Perry have carefully cleaned and consolidated the painting, bringing it vividly back to life and yielding information about its creation. Like most medieval English wall paintings, the Doom was painted directly into a thin ground layer applied directly to the surface of the wall. Pigments such as yellow and brown oxides, copper green and verdigris, blue azurite, vermillion, red lake and carbon black, with pure lead white were mixed with an oil-based medium, whilst gold leaf was used for St. Peter’s keys and some of the headdresses.

Although relating to an earlier scheme of painting in the chapel, the guild’s accounts for 1427/8 refer to payments of 4s. to Thomas Payntor and his son, for eight days' labour, 'for his colours and for painting and mending the defects in the Guild Chapel', for red lead, 'vermylon', 'yndebawdyat', white lead, 'zalow', 'oyle and cole' and for 2s. 'for making 24 crosses on the walls of the Chapel within and without'. (BRT1/3/38)

 

 

Click the arrow to the right of the image to continue.