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The Virgin & Child, Wickhamford, Worcestershire (‡Worcester) C.15

Photo:T.Marshall Virgin & Child, Wickhamford (59KB)
Paintings of the Virgin and Child alone, simply as standing ‘devotional’ figures, are now quite rare in the English church, and this is probably because there were once so many statues of this figure group in stone and in wood - small carved wooden figures were within the means of even the poorest churches.

This example is on the chancel arch wall, to the right of the arch. The Virgin has a blue robe and shoes of a similar colour, and a mantle now reduced to off-white. This might once have been gold. She stands against a red background, holding the Christ Child in her right arm. Both figures have haloes; the Virgin herself seems to be holding a very narrow wand or sceptre, and the Child is holding something that is almost certainly an orb of the world. Facial features and other detailing have faded into blankness, giving an air of silhouetted purity to the painting. It is very competently executed and would no doubt have been much prized by the church and by local people.

Caiger-Smith records a St. Christopher at Wickhamford, but I could find no trace of it. There is though a particularly fine royal arms of 1681 above the chancel arch. Below is an earlier Royal Arms, possibly of King James 1/V1, and below that are traces of medieval foliage decoration which might once have surrounded the Rood.

St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read, Corby Glen, Lincs St. Anne & Virgin/Miracles of Virgin, Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks Annunciation/Visitation, Ashampstead, Berkshire Annunciation, Barnby, Suffolk
Annunciation, Chalgrove, Oxon. Annunciation, Little Melton, Norfolk Annunciation, Gisleham, Suffolk Annunciation, Slapton, Northants
Annunciation, Sth. Newington, Oxfordshire Annunciation, Tarrant Crawford, Dorset Annunciation, Martley, Worcestershire Annunciation/Visitation, Faversham, Kent
Annunciation/Visitation/Nativity, Newton Green, Suffolk Annunciation/Visitation, Pinvin, Worcs Annunciation-Fring, Norfolk NEW Visitation, Dale Abbey, Derbys Visitation, Salisbury (S.Thomas), Wilts.
The Burial of the Virgin, Pickering, N.Yorks Death, Burial & Coronation of the Virgin, Sutton Bingham, Somerset Coronation of the Virgin, Black Bourton, Oxon Background to Statue, with painted angels, Brent Eleigh, Suffolk
Virgin Enthroned, with angels, Arundel, Sussex Virgin Enthroned, with donors, Cawston, Norfolk Life of the Virgin, Broughton, Oxon. Virgin & Child, with wand and apple, South Newington, Oxford
Virgin & Child, with sceptre & orb(?), Wickhamford, Worcs. Virgin suckling the Christ Child, Beckley, Oxon. Virgin suckling the Christ Child, Belchamp Walter, Essex

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13/4/2002