Modern Art and Chichester Cathedral
Pallant House Gallery Director, Simon Martin, on Chichester Cathedral's modern art connections and the Gallery's own contribution to the Chichester950 celebrations
2025 marks the 950th anniversary of the foundation of Chichester Cathedral - when in 1075 the seat of the bishop was moved from Selsey to Chichester. Whilst its architectural form is largely Norman and Gothic, the artworks within the Cathedral reflect the changing tastes of the centuries, from the Romanesque reliefs depicting the raising of Lazarus; to the 14th century Arundel Tomb made famous by Philip Larkin's poem; and John Flaxman's eight Neo-classical monuments. But it was in the 20th century that the Cathedral developed its unique identity - due to the enlightened commissioning of modern artists.
At his enthronement address in 1929, the Right Rev George Bell, Bishop of Chichester, declared, "Whether it be music, painting or drama, sculpture or architecture or any other form of art, there is an instinctive sympathy between all of these and the worship of God. Bell believed that the Church could once again play a role as patron. In the aftermath of the Second World War, Bell engaged the German Jewish émigré Hans Feibusch (whom the Nazis had labelled degenerate) to paint murals of The Baptism of Christ in the Cathedral and The Ascension in his private chapel, following wartime commissions in Brighton and Eastbourne.
Building on the foundations laid by Bishop Bell, Walter Hussey (Dean from 1956-1978) set about a series of ambitious commissions from major modern artists, including an altarpiece for the Chapel of Saint Mary Magdalen by Graham Sutherland; the High Altar tapestry and a set of vestments by John Piper; the pulpit, lectern and doors by Geoffrey Clarke; vestments by Ceri Richards; and a stained glass window by Marc Chagall (not to forget the music of Leonard Bernsteins Chichester Psalms). Pallant House Gallery has a rich selection of the preparatory studies for these and related artworks, thanks principally to the Hussey Bequest, the estate of John and Myfanwy Piper, and Hans Feibusch, who bequeathed his entire studio. These collages, drawings and paintings provide an insight into the development of the artist's ideas and imagery. In the case of Piper's and Richard's studies for vestments, we see links to Henri Matisse's chapel at Vence in France, completed just a few years earlier. It is a visual reminder of how modern art enabled the Cathedral to escape a Trollopian insularity and instead connect to both contemporary society and the wider world.
The Gallery's Print Room exhibition Modern Spirit: Studies for Chichester Cathedral includes original studies for artworks by renowned artists Hans Feibusch, Ceri Richards and John Piper.
Modern Spirit: Studies for Chichester Cathedral runs from 2 August to 25 October 2025.
Written for the Pallant House Gallery magazine and reprinted with their kind permission
Image: View of Chichester Cathedral by John Piper