Antique alterpiece illuminated at Towneley Hall
10:00pm Thursday 14th February 2013 in News
Sheila Williams admires the reredos
AN altarpiece which dates back to the 16th century can finally be seen again in all its former glory at Burnley’s Towneley Hall.
The reredos, believed to have been crafted by an Antwerp sculptor between 1510 and 1520, has been fully illuminated for the first time in 100 years thanks to members of the Towneley Hall Society.
Each year the Towneley family stages a mass in the chapel and previously the society had paid for the intricate woodwork, which depicts six scenes from the life of Christ, to be fully cleaned.
But, after further consideration, and an approach from the family, it was decided that better lighting would enhance the masterpiece.
Rita Walsh, the society’s secretary, said: “You have never been able to make out the detail because of the poor quality of the lighting in the chapel. So we were very pleased to carry out this work, with tiny LED lights, which means people can view it properly.”
More than £1,000 has been invested in the project, but society members are satisified with the results.
Originally the altarpiece was installed in the chapel by Charles Towneley, a famous art collector, in the 18th Century. But, by the end of the following century, it had been removed and relocated to the family seat in Sussex. In the 1960s, it was restored to the Burnley hall with the help of grants from the National Art Collections Fund, the Victoria and Albert Museum. and the council’s own Edward Stocks Massey bequest.
