"Doom" is the name given to a painting that depicts the Bible's Last Judgement, particularly the torments that await in Hell and, often, the delights of Heaven. In English churches they were common in the medieval period and many survive in varying states of repair. A common location for the painting is above the chancel arch or on the west wall. Others can be found on the north or south walls. The purpose was to impress on the illiterate congregation the folly of departing from Christian teaching. The "Doom" in St Michael & All Angels, Mitcheldean in the Forest of Dean, was painted in the late 1400s on oak panels that separate the nave from the chancel . It shows the usual subject as well as the Betrayal, Passion and Ascension of Christ. The two dominant colours are red and green, both of which were widely used in church paintings of the time.
photo © T. Boughen Camera: Olympus OMD E-M10
