Painter of the Sacred

Around 1427 an accomplished artist, his family and his apprentice son worked on the religious wall paintings within the Guild Chapel in the centre of Stratford upon Avon.  Whilst all the devotional paintings and artefacts were obliterated during the reformation, some work has been done to restore them already, with ongoing work continuing to remind the visitor of their glorious wonder.

This book, whilst recreating something of the life around those times by exploring the life of Thomas Payntour and his family, both in a fictional manner and with total reverence and reference to the facts that are available, aims to raise funds in its sale to further the continuance of the restoration work.

Helen Bland has taken painstaking care to research the various factors that affected the devotion of the people of the age, the saints that were important to them, the feasts and occasions which ruled their lives, and the ways in which they lived accordingly.  We get a glimpse of a time when Stratford was in its infancy, but still of great import, and full of fascination.

There is very little surviving that can be absolutely attributed to this great son of Stratford, yet his Art stands amongst the greats of history and should be noted as such.  This little history goes a long way to doing just that.  In addition to her artistic words, Helen has ably added her own supporting poetry, truly immersing herself in the era, understanding the people and their devotions, and adding something of a personal prayer through doing so.