[Leica] IMG: Rug Chapel, Wales

[john.nebel at csdco.com (John Nebel)]

Jay,

A great scene, well seen, and a good one to keep in mind.

Best,

John

On 12/7/2013 7:09 PM, Jay Burleson wrote:
> Fascinating 17th century wall painting. Details below.
> Fuji X-E1, Summicron-M 1:2/35 mm ASPH., iso 1000
>
> Death Takes Us All
> http://jayburleson.com/leica/gallery/index.php/Wales-2013/Color/DSCF0451
>
> At the east end of the north wall of the nave is a very unusual
> seventeenth-century wall painting.
> It consists of two tall Corinthian pilasters crudely painted in perspective
> standing on a podium,
> the whole reaching the full height of the wall. The main painting is 
> contained
> in an oblong panel
> with small fluted Ionic pilasters from which spring small arches 
> containing leaf
> decoration.
> The painting portrays the familiar theme of the transient nature of our 
> sojourn
> on earth and the
> inevitability of death. Lavish use has been made of the emblems 
> traditionally
> associated with the subject.
> A central white panel or table top has at each end a painted turned 
> candlestick
> with a lighted candle.
> Nearer the center are an hourglass and a dial on which is painted fugit 
> hora
> (the hour flies).
> The main feature of the upper part is a skull surrounded by a wreath or 
> garland
> containing seven roses.
> The lower part is occupied by a skeleton reclining on a pillow of coiled 
> rope.
> Between the hourglass and the dial is the Latin inscription ut hora sic 
> vita (as
> with the hour so with life).
> Beneath this are inscriptions in Welsh: val i treila r t?n gan bwull, gwur 
> y
> ganwull gynudd. fellu r enioes ar rhod sudd yn darfod beunudd.
> This is an excerpt from a carol by Richard Gwyn, a Roman Catholic martyr
> executed in 1584.
> It translates 'as the flame gradually consumes the tallow of the lighted 
> candle
> so life on the orbit (earth) perishes daily.'
> Next is: yrhoedel er hyd a for aros a derfudd yn udd ag yn nos.
> These are the last two lines of one of the Englynion y Misoedd and 
> translate as
> 'lifetime, however long its stay, will come to an end by night and by day'.
> Then: Darfu fynrwyn am wuneb mud iawn wy nim edwyn neb.
> This is a quotation from a cywydd (a form of poem) attributed to 'leuan ap
> Rhydderch
> which translates as 'my nose and my face are perished, very dumb am I, no 
> one
> knows me'.
> Last: pob cadan: gwan i ddiwedd
> A proverb first recorded in 1547 and meaning 'every strong one is weak in 
> the end'.