Two sculptural relief panels from the ‘Whitehall’ Altarpiece
Creator(s): Grinling Gibbons and Arnold Quellin
Date: 1686
Accession Number: WA 0872.1,2
Materials: Marble
Location: Westminster Abbey, London, SW1 3PA
Credit Line (copyright notice for material) : By courtesy of the Dean and Chapter of Westminster
NOTES ON THE ARTWORK
Two rectangular panels of relief sculpture. One depicts the head of Christ surrounded by swags of corn, grapes, roses and lilies. The other shows the head of the Virgin Mary, surrounded by swags of lilies, tulips, wheat and barley. The panels were apparently part of the Whitehall Palace altarpiece designed by Christopher Wren for King James II’s Roman Catholic chapel, which was re-erected under Queen Anne behind the high altar of Westminster Abbey and taken down at the coronation of King George IV.
The accompanying marble cherub and wings are also thought to be possibly from to the Whitehall Palace altarpiece, however, these are unprovenanced.
