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Cathedral

Creator: Philipson, Robin James, Sir, PPRSA RSA · 1916-1992

Cathedral

Commenting upon a visit in the late 1950s to Amiens in France, Philipson said: “What impressed me about cathedrals like Rouen and Amiens was the…

Commenting upon a visit in the late 1950s to Amiens in France, Philipson said: “What impressed me about cathedrals like Rouen and Amiens was the powerful window tracery seen from outside and the sense of ascending.” [https://www.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/788].

The present work would appear to be a study based on the facade of Amiens Cathedral, although the prominent pediment above the principal west door , which rises in front of the rose window, is more akin to the facade of Rheims Cathedral.

The present work is the earliest of three related depictions of the western facade of a gothic cathedral which are all now in public collections; A Cathedral, c.1962, Atkinson Art Gallery, Southport; and Cathedral, Red, 1961, in the NGS.

This interest in church and cathedral exteriors and interiors and their stained glass, in particular that in Rose windows was to become a major source of inspiration for Philipson over the next 20 years or more.

© The Artist's Estate