Wall painting of the Ladder of the Salvation of the Human Soul, and the Road to Heaven inside Chaldon church, Surrey, England, UK: painted around 1200
Wall painting of the Ladder of the Salvation of the Human Soul, and the Road to Heaven inside Chaldon church, Surrey, England, UK. Painted around 1200 by a travelling monk with an extensive knowledge of Greek Orthodox ecclesiastical art. A vertical ladder with a symbol of life at the foot leads to Christ at the top seated in glory between the sun & moon. Naked figures (souls) climb the ladder but some fall while others are seized by the Devil & pitchforked into the boiling cauldron reserved for murderers. A horizontal cloudy band (nebuly) forms a cross with the ladder & divides scenes & symbols of sin, torment & punishment below from scenes of judgement, & salvation of the righteous through Christ, His saints & angels. The Seven Deadly Sins are depicted in figures along the bottom, Covetousness indicated by a money lender being pinned in flames. Above him dishonest tradesmen - blacksmith, mason, spinner & potter - are made to enact their trades on a bridge of spikes without vital equipment (no anvil etc). Lower R is the Serpent in the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Top L: St Michael weighing souls with the Devil holding a rope to bind the damned & trying to tip the balance with bad deeds. An angel leads the three Marys to Heaven with the Assumption of the Virgin Mary above. On the R side of the ladder Enoch & Elijah going to Heaven. Top R: Christ transfixing the Devil with his cross while the Devil is being swallowed by Leviathan (Gates of Hell). Christ preaches His Gospel to the spirits of those who lived before Him including Adam & Eve. A teaching 'cartoon', a visual sermon of Bible stories & characters, the dangers of sin & the rewards of Christian belief. The painting, in ochre tempera, is on the Saxon W wall of the nave, it measures (17ft) x (11ft). The Consecration or Dedication cross on the lower L edge may be a later addition.
Size: 3748px × 2621px
Location: Church of St Peter and St Paul, Chaldon, Caterham, Surrey, England, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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