The tomb of Peter de Grandisson, who died in 1358, can be found in the Lady Chapel of Hereford Cathedral. It is an architectural confection of sculpture, arches, buttresses, canopies etc that reaches high above his resting place. Visitors to English churches soon become used to tombs that show no colour because they predominate. This tomb, re-painted in the 1940s, reminds us that once all tombs glowed with colour as this one does. However, many seemingly colourless tombs often reveal, to the inquisitive eye, faint traces of the paint that was applied centuries ago. I wouldn't be surprised if the twentieth century restorers used such fragments to inform their choice of colours.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Sony DSC-RX100
