Commemorative portraits in English and Welsh parish churches offer up a mirror to people’s lives and beliefs in the late 16th Century and early 17th Century, following the Reformation. Jessica’s talk focuses on the intriguing St.John family Polyptych in St. Mary’s Lydiard Tregoze, setting it within this specific historic, religious and artistic context. She will also show other commemorative portraits in parish churches across southern England and Wales, and discuss the difficulties involved in displaying and preserving these fabulous objects for future generations.
Jessica Rosenthal Mcgrath is an AHRC- funded PhD Researcher at Swansea University and the National Portrait Gallery. She has worked in various positions across the arts and heritage sector, including the V&A, English Heritage, and the National Trust. Jessica’s doctoral research explores post-Reformation responses to mortality, salvation, and transience across the south of England and Wales.
This talk is organised by The Friends of Lydiard Park as part of the St .Mary’s Church Conservation Project.