The Royal Collection © H. M. The Queen 1993

Watercolour on paper 15" x 22"

I was privileged to be commissioned by The Royal Collection to paint Windsor Castle After the Fire and then again to return to paint the restored rooms 5 years later.  The Private Chapel was created for Queen Victoria in 1842 and it was here that the fire started on 20th November 1992.

"After the fire the Private Chapel was a sickening spectacle, a cavernous space open to the sky.  The shattered alter was surrounded by a heap of blackened masonry and charred wood while above it stood the remains of a stained-glass window, its empty tracery pierced at random by baulks of timber.  This painting is a contemplation of the remains of the reredos and the window above. The exposure of this room, the Sovereign's private place of worship, to the sky is sacrilegious, the sun's rays intrusive ad strident. I have distorted the perspective to emphasise the fragility of the surviving masonry, and shown a jangle of scaffolding that props up the window behind in an attempt to save it for the future." From Out of the Ashes, Watercolours of Windsor Castle by Alexander Creswell, 2000

This month marks the start of my Colloquium Series at Watts Gallery. On 30th June I will be in conversation with Oliver Everett, Royal Librarian Emeritus, exploring Windsor Castle and the legacy of the Royal Collection. To join my Colloquium Series at Watts Gallery...