Inner panel right 'Divinity Cloisters' Oil on canvas 30 x 40 cm
This painting shows the inner right side of a triptych showing two buildings. In this painting we see the right corridor of the 'Cloisters' belonging to Gloucester Cathedral in England. The cloister of Gloucester Cathedral is one of the most important medieval architecture. It is famous for its remarkable fan vaults. This imaginative new style was developed here in the 13th century and the current monastery was completed in 1412 by Abbot Froucester. The 'Cloisters' are the great architectural treasure of Gloucester Cathedral. It was at the heart of the life of the monks in Gloucester from the 1090s to the 1540s. The monks lived, ate, prayed and worked around the four sides of the monastery garden. The highlight of the 'Cloisters' is the fan vault, which dates from the 1350s to 1390s. It was a new development of English Perpendicular Gothic architecture, in which the panels that already covered the walls and windows reached the ceiling. It is called 'fan vault' because it is formed of hollow cones or 'fans', with decorative tracery. The fans are said to have been made in a workshop and then assembled piece by piece on site. This form of ceiling on this scale was first invented and used in Gloucester. In terms of architecture, the cloisters are very similar to the 'Divinity School' in Oxford, which is depicted on the outside of the triptych. Bert visited both buildings in May 2023.
