A long-lost Comper commission?
The chancel of the glorious church at Great Haseley in Oxfordshire has an 'English altar'. You know the sort of arrangement I mean, one that is enclosed on three sides with curtains, the side curtains hung between 'riddel' posts supporting figures of angels. It is rather a fine arrangement all told.
The dorsal curtain is decorated with some sublime embroidery, including a figure of the resurrected Christ (above) and a figure of St Peter, the patron of the church (below). Between them and around them are stylised daisies executed in silk and laid gold work. The background material of the dorsal is Comper's 'Van der Weyden' damask in the famous shade that has become known as 'Comper Rose' or 'Comper Pink'. The quality of the design and embroidery is particularly high, the figures are medieval in derivation but not slavish and the embroidery is very similar to much of the high quality work that the Sisters of Bethany produced for Sir Ninian Comper. The question is, is this in fact a long lost Comper commission? It is not mentioned in any of the literature, including the gazeteer of Symondson and Bucknall's recent volume on the designer. It is possible that it is the work of one of the other extremely competent early twentieth century Gothicists, such as F E Howard or perhaps Christopher Webb, who was responsible for a rather fine window in the church. Who knows. I would be very grateful if anybody can shed any light on it.
St Peter
One of the angels on the riddel posts.
Here's the context of the altar, the vast early fourteenth century chancel:
Comments
F. E. Howard was not as accomplished as Webb and his work was less finished and more sentimental. He was also unable to achieve the finishes that characterize Comper's and Webb's work, as you see in the most extensive example of his furnishing skills at Southwold, Suffolk. Compare that with Lound and the problem becomes quite raw.
Just another thing. Some time ago on your Comper flickr site some became excited by an embroidered banner of Our Lady photographed in Leicester, perhaps in the cathedral. It was not by Comper but by Geoffrey Webb, executed by the Sisters of Bethany. It shows how close he was to Comper's own work.
Unlike his brother, Christopher, his painted glass was much closer to Comper's and, at times, is almost indistinguishable. But he did not have the strength and delicacy of line possessed by F. J. Lucas, Comper's glass painter. If you want to make a comparison go to St Cyprian's, Clarence Gate. Some years ago some over-enthusiastic, but ill-informed, young men thought they had found some panels of glass by Comper in a shop in the Portobello Road. They did not use their eyes but simply read the dealer's labels. They were bought at great expense and, after being 'authenticated' by the London DAC, were installed. One panel is by Geoffrey Webb, the other by Shrigley & Hunt. If you compare the drawing on Webb's panel with that on the Comper windows you will see the difference. They disfigure the church and should be removed.
Toby Garfitt (St Peter's PCC)