When the church was re-opened after the restoration in 1879, the walls of the nave were covered with a thick coat of yellow wash, but there were many living who remembered the accidental discovery of the strange pictures that were for a time exposed to the wondering gaze of the congregation.  The distraction caused by this novelty led to the coat of yellow wash that undoubtedly did infinite harm to the paintings.  At the subsequent restoration, which was carried out by degrees as the necessary funds were forthcoming, it was found that portions of some of the figures had perished, and it is a most regrettable fact that the restoration included the painting in of certain missing parts whose details could only be supplied by analogy.  From Mr Lightfoot’s description it seems that in the large picture of St George and the Dragon a considerable part of the St George’s body was missing; that the representation of Herod’s Feast and the lowest scene of the life of St Katherine of Alexandria were very badly damaged by the attachments of mural tablets.  On the whole, however, the paintings when uncovered were in a good state of preservation, and the colours were more vivid than they were left after the re-touching by Mr Jewitt.

[Illustration:  Some of the Wall Paintings in Pickering Church.

THE SEVEN CORPORAL ACTS OF MERCY.

They are, from left to right:—­(1) Feeding the hungry (partly missing in photograph)[A]; (2) Giving drink to the thirsty; (3) Compelling the stranger to come in; (4) Clothing the naked; (5) Visiting those in prison; (6) Visiting the sick; (7) Burying the dead.

[Footnote A:  This appears in another photograph showing scenes from the life of our Lord.]

The martyrdom of St Edmund.

[The Copyright is reserved by Dr John L. Kirk.] ]

Taking the pictures along the north wall in order, the first is the huge representation of St George, then facing the porch entrance on a still larger scale is the figure of St Christopher, bearing on his left shoulder the infant Christ.  This position, facing these who enter the church, is the usual one for St Christopher, for he was the patron-saint of travellers, and the size is in keeping with the tradition which speaks of the saint as standing twelve cubits high.  He is shown using a tree as his staff, and the Evil One is being trampled underfoot in the form of a serpent.

Adjoining St Christopher is the curious painting showing Herod’s Feast, a very rare subject to be chosen for wall paintings.  Although this picture has been so much restored the figures were very carefully traced out where only faint indications could be seen, so that it now presents the original work where it was not totally destroyed with considerable accuracy.  It is really three scenes, although it appears as one.  Herod’s daughter is on the right performing a mediaeval tumble dance before the king and queen and their two guests, and on the left St John the Baptist is shown, still kneeling, although his head lies on the pavement.  Salome is holding the charger against her breast.  In the central portion of the picture she appears carrying the head of St John in the dish.  The picture above this shows the coronation of the Virgin Mary, and the wall of heaven is higher still.