St. Thomas à Becket
Artist: Benjamin West (American, 1738-1820)
Date: 1797
Dimensions:
H: 50 1/2 in. (128.3 cm); W: 23 3/8 in. (59.4 cm)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Museum Purchase
Object number: 1959.32
Label Text:Like the painting of St. Michael to the left, this image of medieval saint Thomas à Becket (1118–1170) is a design for a window commissioned by William Beckford for his country estate, Fonthill Abbey. American-born artist Benjamin West depicted Becket (1118–1170) in his role as Archbishop of Canterbury, though in his right hand he holds an attribute from his previous position as Lord Chancellor to King Henry II, the purse containing the royal seal.
Shortly after his martyrdom in 1170, the cult of St. Thomas à Becket spread quickly in Europe, and his image often appears in medieval art (the Museum owns a 13th-century relic box depicting Becket’s murder). William Beckford was probably drawn to this subject by his passion for the Middle Ages; he also may have empathized with Becket’s fall from the king’s graces.
The design was executed as a grisaille (monochrome gray) stained glass window. The legs are foreshortened to compensate visually for the intended high placement of the window, which is today located in St. Mark’s Church (also known as the Lord Mayor’s Chapel) in Bristol, England.
Shortly after his martyrdom in 1170, the cult of St. Thomas à Becket spread quickly in Europe, and his image often appears in medieval art (the Museum owns a 13th-century relic box depicting Becket’s murder). William Beckford was probably drawn to this subject by his passion for the Middle Ages; he also may have empathized with Becket’s fall from the king’s graces.
The design was executed as a grisaille (monochrome gray) stained glass window. The legs are foreshortened to compensate visually for the intended high placement of the window, which is today located in St. Mark’s Church (also known as the Lord Mayor’s Chapel) in Bristol, England.
Not on view
In Collection(s)