Coventry

Steve and I took a train to Coventry on one of the days that Mathias had both a matinée and evening performance of The Nutcracker. We really enjoyed the Cathedral area despite the rain and wind. One of the best features of St. Mary's Cathedral, the oldest of the three...pre-Henry VIII's dissolution of Catholic monasteries, was the incorporation of new, outdoor artwork set in the remains. Above is one such example.



We loved walking through the bombed out ruins of "The Old Cathedral". Someone, the weather seemed perfect for the sad loss of this once glorious structure.



The Early 14th Century South Porch and the spire are still intact.






The most outstanding feature is the architectural bridge between old and new. The transition blends the physical areas and the spirit of both places. All these images can be "clicked" upon for closer inspection. In the picture above, there is a modern sculpture that was donated by survivors from the bombings in Japan. Other modern works were also tastefully displayed.


Above is one of the contemporary plagues that were situated in the side chapels that had once been maintained by the town's guilds.

I took several photos of locks while in England, including this one in Coventry. My current artistic work using keys and rusted nails made them so interesting. I'll likely start incorporating locks too!

There were many wonderful parts to the new cathedral, St. Micheal's, including a fantastic mosaic floor....

fabulous new stained glass....

excellent examples of 15th century stained glass that had been removed from the old cathedral before the war...

elegant etched glass angels...

and modern masterpieces like this wrought iron, Crown of Thorns, gate and a wall of wooden "mosaic" that included glass, intrigue carving, and great illumination.

Behind the altar, however, was one of the largest tapestries I've ever seen. It was created in the 1960s. The figure seen between the feet is LIFE SIZE...six feet tall!



There was another area of the church was newly embroidered panels depicting Jonah and the Whale and other ideas. I couldn't really concentrate on the topic because the work was so wonderful! There were digital prints on fabric and what looked like embellished felt. The hand stitching was obvious and tied the collaged elements together. Unfortunately, there was no sign...only two empty plastic containers that looked like information should have been available. There was also no one to ask. Even the nice ladies in the nearby Cathedral book and gift shop didn't know anything more about the embroideries...pity, they were great!