VERNACULAR VISIONS: THE ALCESTER BENEFACTION BOARD IN CONTEXT

Abstract

The Alcester Benefaction Board is an exceptionally complex and well-preserved seventeenth-century polychrome wooden monument. Conservation treatment in 2020–1 presented the opportunity to examine the material history of the Alcester Board in depth for the first time. Many previously unknown aspects, including the date of its construction, were revealed. Identification of the pigments enabled a complete digital reconstruction of both its original appearance and that of later repainting. This led to a reassessment of expectations about the materials and techniques used. The study also offered some insight into the visual sources, purpose and possible reception of the object.