Last Tuesday evening, the History Society hosted an exciting double bill featuring two talks as a part of the Windsor Festival. The first, held in College Chapel, was given by Flemish author Harry De Paepe on the Ghent Altarpiece. Later, Dr Rachel Tretheway gave a talk in Upper School based on the lives of Winston Churchill’s daughters.
Mr De Paepe’s talk took the audience through the tumultuous history of the Ghent Altarpiece, a history of destruction, loss, theft, and alteration. We were shown the incredible details of the painting, such as the minute brushwork used to create the tassels in the rugs and the flecks of colour used to create the marbled floors. He drew our attention to the blue brooch worn by one of the singing angels, on which one can see an accurate reflection of the light coming in from the window in the Vijd chapel, the original location of the masterpiece. It was all the more special to hear his talk in College Chapel as he made links to the wall paintings, executed in the Flemish style (1479-87).
The painting has also been altered significantly over the centuries and Mr De Paepe showed us comparative evidence. The mystic lamb’s face was adjusted during the Renaissance to conform to contemporary standards and Eve’s body was altered to suit differing ideals of beauty. A proud Fleming himself, Mr De Paepe made sure to note how important both Jan and Hubert Van Eyck’s contribution to the Northern Renaissance had been.
We heard how the painting endured some more risky moments as well. Iconoclasts threatened its destruction along with the thousands of other icons that were purposefully ruined in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral in Ghent, the altarpiece’s original home. During the Nazi occupation of Belgium, it was taken first to the fairy-tale Neuschwanstein Castle, and later in the war to the salt mines under Altaussee, Austria, where the Germans stored much of their stolen art.
We were glad to hear that it is now back where it belongs, in Saint Bavo’s Cathedral, but sadly missing a panel, The Just Judges, stolen in the 1930s and yet to be recovered. Supposedly it is best for tourism if it remains that way…
Later in the evening we had the pleasure of welcoming Dr Trethewey. She spoke eloquently about her book, The Churchill Girls, detailing the fascinating and often overshadowed stories of Diana, Sarah, Mary and Marigold Churchill.
From their complex love lives to the incredible intimacy of their relationship with their father, Dr Trethewey added an integral personal dimension to the political leader. We heard about the triumphant highs of Diana’s time as an air raid warden and the tragic lows which preceded her suicide. Dr Trethewey also reflected on the impact of the death of Winston Churchill’ daughter, Marigold, from septicaemia when she was just two years old. Dr Trethewey shared her views that Sarah’s alcoholism was accentuated by her time in the limelight and that Mary could have been a great political leader given her diplomatic experience.
We can only thank Dr Trethewey and Mr De Paepe’s their talks and wonderful company and do hope others enjoy their books – The Churchill Girls: The Story of Winston’s Daughters and The Mystic Lamb: Admired and Stolen.
