Find Kirtlington on a map
There are two fifteenth century paintings on the north wall at Kirtlington, this St George and St Christopher further right on the same wall. The two are often found together, and as the church was extensively altered in the fifteenth century, both paintings probably date from shortly after 1420, which is when the last of these 15th century alterations was carried out. And dim and dingy though it is now, this has the general look of a post-Agincourt painting, with George triumphantly brandishing his sword over his head while the dragon lies vanquished, all four legs in the air, at his feet, Georges armour, with a white cross on his surcoat, and his prominent spurs, all suggest an early date as well. His horse, faint as it is, shows the heavy-set muscularity typical of late medieval warhorses.
The princess who was about to become the dragons first human victim was once visible further to the right, huddled in a cloak, but I cannot make out more than a faint and partial outline that may be her figure now. Visible paintings of St George are not common in Oxfordshire, and this is only the third I have seen in the county (the example at Hornton is already on the site and in the table below; that at Broughton is in barely identifiable fragments). I will try to include the Kirtlington St Christopher on the site in the future, although it too is in a very dilapidated state. But this church once had a good deal of painting, including even some abstract patterning on the pillars.
Website for Kirtlington church
St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, RutlandSt. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, LincolnshireSt. Antony and the Pig, Barton, CambridgeshireSt. Barbara : Hessett, SuffolkSt. Bartholomew : Selling, KentSt.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, CambsSt Catherine of Alexandria, Cold Overton, LeicestershireNEWSt.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, NorfolkSt.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, NorthantsSt.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. YorksSt.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, NorfolkSt. Catherine of Alexandria, Martyrdom of: Burton Latimer, NorthantsNEWSt. Catherine of Alexandria or another female saint : Ashley, HampshireNEWSt. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.Scenes from the life of St. Cuthbert : Pittington, Co. DurhamNEWSt. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, CambsSt.Edmund : Boxford, SuffolkSt. Edmund : Lakenheath, SuffolkSt. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, KentSt.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, NorfolkSt. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, NorfolkSt. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.YorksSt. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, RutlandSt. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, SuffolkSt. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, DevonSt.Eloi, Broughton, BucksSt. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, NorthantsSt. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.YorksSt.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, CambsSt. Etheldreda : Willingham, CambsSt. Francis Preaching to the Birds : Little Kimble, BucksSt.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, SuffolkSt. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, NorthantsSt. George & Dragon : Banningham, NorfolkSt. George & Dragon : Broughton, BucksSt. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, SuffolkSt. George & Dragon : Fritton, NorfolkSt. George & Dragon : Hornton, OxonSt. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, CheshireSt. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, BucksSt. George & the Dragon : Kirtlington, OxonNEWSt.Helena, Broughton, BucksSt.James the Great : Hales, NorfolkLife of St. James, Stoke Orchard, GloucestershireSt. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, SussexSt. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, BucksSt. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, NorfolkSt. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, HampshireSt. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, NorthantsSt. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N. YorksLife of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, DorsetSt. John the Evangelist, Selling, KentSt. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, NorfolkSt. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, NorthantsSt. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, OxfordshireSt. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, RutlandSt. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, SurreyLife of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, EssexMartyrdom of St. Margaret, Duxford, CambridgeshireMartyrdom of St. Margaret, Ashby St Ledgers, Northamptonshire NEWSt. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, BedsSt. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, DorsetSt Michael, with kneeling donor, South Newington, Oxfordshire NEWSt.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, BucksSt. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, SuffolkSt. Nicholas of Myra & the Boys in the Barrel, Padworth, BerkshireSt.Paul : Black Bourton, OxonSt. Paul : Beckley, OxonSt. Paul : Selling, KentSt. Peter : Beckley, OxonSt.Peter : Black Bourton, OxonSt. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, NorthantsSt. Peter : Selling, KentSS. Peter & Paul, Old Idsworth, Hampshire NEWSt. Roch : Pinvin, WorcsSt. Sexburga? : Willingham, CambsS. Stephen, Martyrdom of, North Stoke, OxonSt. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, OxonSt. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, NorfolkSt.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, NorthantsScenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, HampshireSt. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs.St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, SomersetSt. Thomas Becket, Murder of, North Stoke, OxfordshireSt.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, NorfolkSt. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire St. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, NorfolkSt. Zita : Horley, OxonSt. Zita : Shorthampton, OxonUnidentified female saint : Heydon© Anne Marshall 2010
June 28 2010