Unique panel paintings showing eight female cultural heroines are to be fully conserved over the next two years and then put on display at The Novium Museum in Chichester.
‘The Worthy Women’, also known as The Amberley Panels, were originally part of the elaborate panelling that decorated the ‘Queen’s Room’ at Amberley Castle.
Commissioned around 1526 by Robert Sherborne, Bishop of Chichester, who lived at the castle at the time, the paintings are the work of artist Lambert Barnard (c. 1490-1567).
They are thought to have been specially painted in honour of Queen Katharine of Aragon, who was meant to stay on a visit with her husband, King Henry VIII during his Royal Progress through Sussex. While it’s thought very likely that King Henry VIII saw the panels, his wife had not joined him on the trip. It is from 1526 that the royal marriage began to collapse, as Henry sought to pursue his relationship with Anne Boleyn.
The panels were bought by Chichester District Council in 1983 and displayed at Pallant House Gallery until the early 2010s, then more recently at Bishops Palace.
The panels are now in need of urgent conservation work and the council has agreed to spend just over £248,000 on their full restoration and for them to be displayed.
Councillor John Cross, who oversees Culture, Sport and Place in Chichester District, said: “For those people lucky enough to have seen these panels up close, they are truly magnificent and very beautiful works of art.
“The panels are nationally and internationally significant and once conserved and displayed, have the potential for a huge amount of local pride.”
Anooshka Rawden, Cultural Heritage Lead for the National Park, provided support for the proposals assessed by the Council.
She said: “These panels are a rare survival, showing the relationship between an artist and patron in the 16th century and also mark a significant moment in history, when the process of pursuing divorce fundamentally changed England. The panel images embody women who are battle-ready, and celebrate a queen who was very much loved by the English public. Their creation a reminder that national stories play out locally.
“It’s a testament to the museum team, and the council’s commitment to its cultural offer, that more people will be able to see these extremely rare survivals.” Learn more here.