Children's Chapel, St James' Church, Sydney
Encyclopedia
The Chapel of Saint Mary and the Angels (usually known as the Children's Chapel) is a chapel in one of the bays of the crypt of St James' Church, Sydney. The chapel was created for younger children in which an adapted form of the Eucharist
was celebrated on Sundays. The walls and ceiling of the chapel are painted with scenes inspired by the Christmas carol
"As I Sat Under A Sycamore Tree" with the setting transferred to Sydney Harbour
.
The murals
were designed by Ethel Anderson
and painted as a collaborative project by the Turramurra Wall Painters Union—a group of modernist
painters founded by Anderson in 1927—among whom were Ethel Anderson, Bethia Anderson, sisters Gwen and Jean Ramsey, Roy de Maistre
and Roland Wakelin
. Friends of the artists also helped on small parts of the painting. Some parts of the mural are attributable to individual artists and some are signed. The rector of St James' at the time, Philip Micklem
, was a friend of Anderson and had invited the Turramurra Wall Painters Union to decorate the chapel. The work was carried out between October and December 1929 and completed in time for Christmas
; the first service being held on 22 December 1929.
Artistically, the aim was to give the impression of an illuminated manuscript
citing specifically the Book of Kells
and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
as influences. St James' Church said, "That is why we have used so much gold, and why we are allowing a slight archaic touch to show in the drawing and in our choice and arrangement of colour." The artists referred to photographs to help with their depictions of children, yachts and the harbour
. One of these sources was the work of well-known photographer Harold Cazneaux
.
The use of over three thousand leaves of gold leaf in the artistic scheme produced a shimmering effect that was reported at the time. The Home magazine of February 1930 commented that "at every change of light, bright facets from it dart from one wall to the other touching to brightness haloes, wings, spires, spars or the decks and riggings of ships, all made of gold. When the chapel is full of children, their clothes are mirrored in it."
song "As I Sat Under A Sycamore Tree", itself a variant of the carol "I Saw Three Ships
", in which the Holy Family
sail into Bethlehem
with Saint Michael
and Saint John
as their boatmen. At that time, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built and it can be seen under construction from both sides of the chapel. From the perspective of the entrance to the chapel, depictions of the southern side of Sydney Harbour with the south pylon
of the Harbour Bridge under construction can be seen on the right-hand side along with Circular Quay, the spire of St James', Garden Island
, Woolloomoolloo Bay and in the distance, the spire of St John's Darlinghurst
. St Michael in a boat with pink sails dominates the foreground of one section, in the background of which HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne can be seen berthed at Garden Island.
On the left side is the north shore of Sydney with Admiralty House, Taronga Park
and McMahon's Point
. On either side of the door are Saint John the Baptist
and the Angel of Mercy
, with a cockatoo
. To the left of the altar is the Child Jesus
with Mary
his mother, sitting on deck, with Sydney Heads
in the background beyond the rigging
. Saint Joseph
is featured in the window recess to the right.
The ceiling features arches of blue and gold with panels of fuchsias
and flowering cedar for the sycamore of the text.
. The painted plaster was removed from the curved walls and the plaster removed leaving only the paint surface. Then an inert synthetic fabric was attached to the back of the paint layer to support it. A fibreglass
shell was moulded to line the chapel walls and the paint layer reattached to the new surface. Those parts of the mural which were severely damaged were inpainted using contemporary photographs as a guide to reconstruction. The work matches the original but can still be distinguished from it.
Eucharist
The Eucharist , also called Holy Communion, the Sacrament of the Altar, the Blessed Sacrament, the Lord's Supper, and other names, is a Christian sacrament or ordinance...
was celebrated on Sundays. The walls and ceiling of the chapel are painted with scenes inspired by the Christmas carol
Christmas carol
A Christmas carol is a carol whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas or the winter season in general and which are traditionally sung in the period before Christmas.-History:...
"As I Sat Under A Sycamore Tree" with the setting transferred to Sydney Harbour
Port Jackson
Port Jackson, containing Sydney Harbour, is the natural harbour of Sydney, Australia. It is known for its beauty, and in particular, as the location of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge...
.
The murals
Mural
A mural is any piece of artwork painted or applied directly on a wall, ceiling or other large permanent surface. A particularly distinguishing characteristic of mural painting is that the architectural elements of the given space are harmoniously incorporated into the picture.-History:Murals of...
were designed by Ethel Anderson
Ethel Anderson
Ethel Anderson was an early twentieth century Australian poetess, essayist, novelist and painter. She considered herself to be mainly a poet, but is now best appreciated for her witty and ironic stories...
and painted as a collaborative project by the Turramurra Wall Painters Union—a group of modernist
Modernism
Modernism, in its broadest definition, is modern thought, character, or practice. More specifically, the term describes the modernist movement, its set of cultural tendencies and array of associated cultural movements, originally arising from wide-scale and far-reaching changes to Western society...
painters founded by Anderson in 1927—among whom were Ethel Anderson, Bethia Anderson, sisters Gwen and Jean Ramsey, Roy de Maistre
Roy De Maistre
Roy de Maistre CBE was an Australian artist of international fame. He is famous in Australian art for his early experimentation in "colour-music", and is recognised as the first Australian artist to use pure abstractionism. His later works were painted in a figurative style generally influenced by...
and Roland Wakelin
Roland Wakelin
Roland Shakespeare Wakelin was an Australian painter and teacher, born in Greytown, New Zealand, who with Roy de Maistre and Grace Cossington Smith are regarded as founding the modern movement in Sydney....
. Friends of the artists also helped on small parts of the painting. Some parts of the mural are attributable to individual artists and some are signed. The rector of St James' at the time, Philip Micklem
Philip Arthur Micklem
The Very Rev Philip Arthur Micklem, DD was an eminent Anglican Priest in the mid 20th century. He was born on 5 April 1876, educated at Harrow and Hertford College, Oxford and ordained after a period of study at Ripon College Cuddesdon in 1903. After a curacy at Shere he was a Lecturer at St...
, was a friend of Anderson and had invited the Turramurra Wall Painters Union to decorate the chapel. The work was carried out between October and December 1929 and completed in time for Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
; the first service being held on 22 December 1929.
Concept
The concept behind the murals, as explained by Ethel Anderson, was "to bring the story of Bethlehem into surroundings perfectly familiar to the mind of the Australian child, and to give these familiar surroundings a beauty strange enough to awaken wonder in a child's mind, so that through this wonder might come a suggestion that beyond the world they know there is another world; to show the spiritual by means of the material."Artistically, the aim was to give the impression of an illuminated manuscript
Illuminated manuscript
An illuminated manuscript is a manuscript in which the text is supplemented by the addition of decoration, such as decorated initials, borders and miniature illustrations...
citing specifically the Book of Kells
Book of Kells
The Book of Kells is an illuminated manuscript Gospel book in Latin, containing the four Gospels of the New Testament together with various prefatory texts and tables. It was created by Celtic monks ca. 800 or slightly earlier...
and the Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
The Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry or simply the Très Riches Heures is a richly decorated book of hours commissioned by John, Duke of Berry, around 1410...
as influences. St James' Church said, "That is why we have used so much gold, and why we are allowing a slight archaic touch to show in the drawing and in our choice and arrangement of colour." The artists referred to photographs to help with their depictions of children, yachts and the harbour
Sydney Harbour Bridge
The Sydney Harbour Bridge is a steel through arch bridge across Sydney Harbour that carries rail, vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian traffic between the Sydney central business district and the North Shore. The dramatic view of the bridge, the harbour, and the nearby Sydney Opera House is an iconic...
. One of these sources was the work of well-known photographer Harold Cazneaux
Harold Cazneaux
Harold Cazneaux was and Australian pictorialist photographer; a pioneer whose style had an indelible impact on the development of Australian photographic history. In 1916 he was a founder of the Pictorialist Sydney Camera Circle...
.
The use of over three thousand leaves of gold leaf in the artistic scheme produced a shimmering effect that was reported at the time. The Home magazine of February 1930 commented that "at every change of light, bright facets from it dart from one wall to the other touching to brightness haloes, wings, spires, spars or the decks and riggings of ships, all made of gold. When the chapel is full of children, their clothes are mirrored in it."
Imagery
The images in the murals depict the wassailingWassailing
The tradition of Wassailing falls into two distinct categories: The House-Visiting wassail and the Orchard-Visiting wassail. House-Visiting wassail, very much similar to caroling, is the practice of people going door-to-door singing Christmas carols...
song "As I Sat Under A Sycamore Tree", itself a variant of the carol "I Saw Three Ships
I Saw Three Ships
"I Saw Three Ships " is a traditional and popular Christmas carol from England. A variant of its parent tune "Greensleeves", the earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire, and was also published by William B. Sandys in 1833...
", in which the Holy Family
Holy Family
The Holy Family consists of the Child Jesus, the Virgin Mary, and Saint Joseph.The Feast of the Holy Family is a liturgical celebration in the Roman Catholic Church in honor of Jesus of Nazareth, his mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and his foster father, Saint Joseph, as a family...
sail into Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
with Saint Michael
Michael (archangel)
Michael , Micha'el or Mîkhā'ēl; , Mikhaḗl; or Míchaël; , Mīkhā'īl) is an archangel in Jewish, Christian, and Islamic teachings. Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and Lutherans refer to him as Saint Michael the Archangel and also simply as Saint Michael...
and Saint John
John the Evangelist
Saint John the Evangelist is the conventional name for the author of the Gospel of John...
as their boatmen. At that time, the Sydney Harbour Bridge was being built and it can be seen under construction from both sides of the chapel. From the perspective of the entrance to the chapel, depictions of the southern side of Sydney Harbour with the south pylon
Pylon (architecture)
Pylon is the Greek term for a monumental gateway of an Egyptian temple It consists of two tapering towers, each surmounted by a cornice, joined by a less elevated section which enclosed the entrance between them. The entrance was generally about half the height of the towers...
of the Harbour Bridge under construction can be seen on the right-hand side along with Circular Quay, the spire of St James', Garden Island
Garden Island, New South Wales
Garden Island is an inner-city locality of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. It is located to the north-east of the Sydney central business district, north of the suburb of Potts Point....
, Woolloomoolloo Bay and in the distance, the spire of St John's Darlinghurst
St John's Anglican Church, Darlinghurst
St John's Anglican Church is a church in the Sydney suburb of Darlinghurst. It is located at 120 Darlinghurst Road and is listed on the Register of the National Estate as well as having a New South Wales state heritage listing.-History and description:...
. St Michael in a boat with pink sails dominates the foreground of one section, in the background of which HMAS Sydney and HMAS Melbourne can be seen berthed at Garden Island.
On the left side is the north shore of Sydney with Admiralty House, Taronga Park
Taronga Zoo
Taronga Zoo is the city zoo of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Officially opened on 7 October 1916, it is located on the shores of Sydney Harbour in the suburb of Mosman...
and McMahon's Point
McMahons Point, New South Wales
McMahons Point is a harbourside suburb on the lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. McMahons Point is located 3 kilometres north of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of North Sydney Council. McMahons Point sits on the peninsula flanked by Berrys...
. On either side of the door are Saint John the Baptist
John the Baptist
John the Baptist was an itinerant preacher and a major religious figure mentioned in the Canonical gospels. He is described in the Gospel of Luke as a relative of Jesus, who led a movement of baptism at the Jordan River...
and the Angel of Mercy
Angel of Mercy
Angel of Mercy may refer to:*Angel of Mercy, in the Jewish and Christian traditions, a messenger from God, especially the archangel Michael*Angel of mercy, affectionate nickname for a nurse*Angel of Mercy...
, with a cockatoo
Cockatoo
A cockatoo is any of the 21 species belonging to the bird family Cacatuidae. Along with the Psittacidae and the Strigopidae , they make up the parrot order Psittaciformes . Placement of the cockatoos as a separate family is fairly undisputed, although many aspects of the other living lineages of...
. To the left of the altar is the Child Jesus
Child Jesus
The Child Jesus represents Jesus from his Nativity to age 12. At 13 he was considered to be adult, in accordance with the Jewish custom of his time, and that of most Christian cultures until recent centuries.The Child Jesus is frequently depicted in art, from around the third or fourth century...
with Mary
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
his mother, sitting on deck, with Sydney Heads
Sydney Heads
Sydney Heads , is the entrance to Port Jackson in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.North Head and Quarantine Head are to the north, South Head and Dunbar Head are to the south. Middle Head, Georges Head and Chowder Head are to the west and within the bay...
in the background beyond the rigging
Rigging
Rigging is the apparatus through which the force of the wind is used to propel sailboats and sailing ships forward. This includes masts, yards, sails, and cordage.-Terms and classifications:...
. Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph
Saint Joseph is a figure in the Gospels, the husband of the Virgin Mary and the earthly father of Jesus Christ ....
is featured in the window recess to the right.
The ceiling features arches of blue and gold with panels of fuchsias
Fuchsia
Fuchsia is a genus of flowering plants that consists mostly of shrubs or small trees. The first, Fuchsia triphylla, was discovered on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola in 1703 by the French Minim monk and botanist, Charles Plumier...
and flowering cedar for the sycamore of the text.
Conservation
In 1952, Anderson carried out some remedial work on the murals but requested that no further work be done during her lifetime. She died in 1958. By the 1980s the murals had deteriorated so much that the chapel had to be closed. Large sections of the paint were being lost as a result of crystalline salts on the wall surface forcing off the painted plaster and gold leaf. With a grant from the Heritage Council of New South Wales, the chapel was restored in 1992 with work done by skilled conservators under the aegis of International Conservation Services. The conservators employed a technique used in Europe for treating frescoesFresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
. The painted plaster was removed from the curved walls and the plaster removed leaving only the paint surface. Then an inert synthetic fabric was attached to the back of the paint layer to support it. A fibreglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
shell was moulded to line the chapel walls and the paint layer reattached to the new surface. Those parts of the mural which were severely damaged were inpainted using contemporary photographs as a guide to reconstruction. The work matches the original but can still be distinguished from it.