Rare find confirmed

A rare painting in St. Alban's Cathedral has gained international attention.

The painting, of the English martyr St. Alban, is now confirmed to be one of the few surviving paintings of British pre-Raphaelite artist Kate Elizabeth Bunce.

London, England-based art historian Jan Marsh, who has co-authored a book on female pre-Raphaelite artists, visited Prince Albert Monday to see the Bunce painting. She was in Saskatoon for a talk at the Mendel Gallery.
Marsh said she heard about the painting through her research.

"Kate Bunce mentioned the painting and its destination in her will, which was reported by newspapers in Birmingham, U.K., where she lived and died," Marsh said in an e-mail interview.

Bunce never visited Canada, but Marsh believes the painting was made for the church after Bunce met someone from Prince Albert. She might have met a bishop or another clergy member from Prince Albert in England.

"Bunce had previously contributed decoration to a church dedicated to St. Alban in Birmingham, so she was already knowledgeable and sympathetic to the subject," Marsh said.

It is certain that Bunce did the painting as a gift for St. Alban's Cathedral in Prince Albert sometime in the 1920s and it was sent after her death, possibly through her will executors.

Marsh published a book with Pamela Gerrish called Women Artists and the Pre-Raphaelite Movement, which included Bunce and sister Myra as late members of the movement. At the time, the only known works by Bunce were two in the Birmingham Art Museum but more of Bunce's paintings are coming to light, she said.

St. Alban's rectory's warden Fred Payton said church members thought the painting was a Kate Bunce but are glad to have it confirmed by an art historian.

"Now we can clearly say it is a painting by Kate Bunce," Payton said. A few years back, a relative of Bunce's came to the church to see the painting, which gave them the idea about who painted it.

Payton said there has been an interesting story about the painting going around the church for several years. A parishioner had said the cross St. Alban is holding in the painting was a crucifix. Apparently one bishop felt it was inappropriate for an Anglican church in the prairies to have a painting with a crucifix. He had the crucifix painted over to be the cross St. Alban is currently holding in the painting.

Marsh is uncertain about this story but thinks it is a possibility.

"Having examined the picture, it's clear that the cross has been altered," Marsh said.

"If the bishop at the time had a particular puritan-style objection to images of Christ, it is possible he ordered the removal of what would have been a very small figure on the crucifix."

For the most part the painting has gone relatively unnoticed by the congregation, said Payton who has been a member of the church for 55 years - since his birth.

"We enjoy it but it has hung here for so long, it is basically commonplace," Payton said. "No one pays special attention to it."

Payton said church members will discuss moving the painting back to its original location over the organ console where there is better airflow. The church has no plans to sell the painting.

Marsh said her research indicated the painting was part of a triptych, or three-part painting, with Christ and two saints.

The background scene in the painting is an English landscape and stylized late Roman/early medieval town below, which may have represented Verulamium, the original Roman city now known as St. Albans.

Jan Marsh is a writer and curator. She is currently writing a Late Victorian Catalogue at National Portrait Gallery London.

klongwell@paherald.sk.ca