Religious texts and imagery could be found everywhere in the interiors of middling houses. These visuals displayed not only belief but status and wealth. These wall paintings are in a first-floor room of what is now the town council offices in Ledbury, Herefordshire. The property was originally a house of middling status built in the early 1500s and extended in about 1600. The wall paintings probably date from between 1575 and 1600 when the town constable lived there.<br /> <br /> The lower section of the painting mimics wood panelling, which was a popular yet costly form of decoration at this time. The middle of the wall is filled with a repeated pattern of overlapping shapes containing colourful flowers, set onto a dark background. Towards the top of the wall, just below the ceiling, is a painted frieze with biblical texts.<br /> <br /> These selected passages have a strong moral tone, emphasising the benefits of following God’s commandments and being a good citizen. Such decoration reminded the viewer of their moral and religious responsibilities, but it also displayed the homeowner’s piety as well as their role as a civic leader. These were both important elements of urban middling status.
Ledbury wall paintings (Painting on plaster), c.1575-1600

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Ledbury wall paintings

Ledbury wall paintings (Painting on plaster), c.1575-1600

Religious texts and imagery could be found everywhere in the interiors of middling houses. These visuals displayed not only belief but status and wealth. These wall paintings are in a first-floor room of what is now the town council offices in Ledbury, Herefordshire. The property was originally a house of middling status built in the early 1500s and extended in about 1600. The wall paintings probably date from between 1575 and 1600 when the town constable lived there.

The lower section of the painting mimics wood panelling, which was a popular yet costly form of decoration at this time. The middle of the wall is filled with a repeated pattern of overlapping shapes containing colourful flowers, set onto a dark background. Towards the top of the wall, just below the ceiling, is a painted frieze with biblical texts.

These selected passages have a strong moral tone, emphasising the benefits of following God’s commandments and being a good citizen. Such decoration reminded the viewer of their moral and religious responsibilities, but it also displayed the homeowner’s piety as well as their role as a civic leader. These were both important elements of urban middling status.

Object Type Painting on plaster
Year c.1575-1600
Material Paint, plaster
Owned By Ledbury Town Council
Keywords looking; reading; displaying; self-fashioning; art; belief; assets; home; morality; occupation; reputation; householder; paint; decoration
Image Credit 16th Century Painted Room, No1 Church Lane, Ledbury. Photo by Julian P Guffogg, used via Wikimedia Commons on a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

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