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Berwick Church decorations: Grant and Bell The decoration of Berwick church in Sussex was the idea of Bishop Bell of Chichester. He was keen to encourage a closer association between the Church and the arts, and also wanted to continue the tradition of wall paintings in Sussex churches. The scheme to decorate Berwick church was promoted by Sir Charles Reilly, professor of Architecture at Liverpool University from 1904 - 1933. He knew Duncan Grant's aunt and recommended Grant as a suitable artist, experienced in creating murals. Grant teamed up with Vanessa and her children, Quentin and Angelica, to work on the church which was only a few miles from their home at Charleston.

Berwick Church, Sussex  © Keith Booth

Duncan Grant, Angelica and Quentin Bell, and Chattie Salaman, in costume for the murals © Tate Archive, 2003

Vanessa Bell working on The Annunciation mural © Tate Archive, 2003

Sketches were drawn up for approval. Grant painted Christ in Glory for the west side of the chancel while Vanessa Bell worked on The Annunciation and The Nativity for the two walls of the nave. Quentin's contribution was the Wise and foolish Virgins and Angelica planned a decoration for the south aisle. The artists posed for each other in biblical costume and also used local farm workers as models. The Bishop liked the drawings when they were submitted in March 1941, but church politics caused a two-year delay before the work was completed. Some of local parishioners did not want the church decorated at all and others objected to 'modern' artists doing the murals. The parishioners appealed to the Diocesan Chancellor asking for the scheme to be scrapped but they were unsuccessful. However, they won a small battle in insisting that Grant's Christ should be made 'less fleshy' and more spiritual.

After much discussion about the way the murals were to be made, it was decided that the artists would paint, not directly on the walls, but on panels in their studios which would then be attached to the walls. This was done later under the direction of an architectural advisor, Frederick Etchells, an old acquaintance of the Bloomsbury group, who had abandoned painting for architecture. The panels were dedicated at a service on 10 October 1943, when the sermon was preached by the Bishop of Chichester. The murals were greeted with great enthusiasm and letters of praise poured in. Sir Charles Reilly, the originator and fundraiser for the scheme, suggested that entering the church was now: like stepping out of a foggy England into Italy   Berwick Church murals © Keith Booth