The Murder of Thomas Becket in Canterbury Cathedral painting by Miley

Miley has joined us this week on a student placement at The Beaney and took an interest in one of the most dramatic paintings in the collection. Here’s what Miley found out:

Painted in: 1793

Artist: John Opie

Material: Oil painting on a canvas

Where to find it: The back wall of the People & Places collection

The Painting:

It depicts four of King Henry II’s knights murdering Thomas Becket on December 29th 1170. At the time, he was the Archbishop of Canterbury which is why his death is so significant. The painting has clear symbolism; Becket is dressed in white and blue illustrating his purity and innocence in contrast to the knights who are dressed in red and grey, symbolising hatred and “evil”. As Becket raises one arm, almost as if he is reaching for Heaven, the knight at the top left raises his sword ready to swing. This difference in behavior highlights the tension and detail behind the painting. As well as a candle in the top left corner, almost blown out, potentially displaying the end of a life of a good man, adding to the image of purity, as light is frequently used to display glory. 

It stands out in the collection because of its considerable size. It stands over 200cm high and 170cm wide, larger than most others in the gallery. Your attention is immediately drawn to it.

Thomas Becket:

Before becoming Archbishop, Becket had been King Henry II’s Chancellor and great friend. He was persuaded by the King to become the Archbishop of Canterbury in 1162 and the King had no doubt that by appointing his friend to this role, he would be able to hold more influence and control over the Church. However, once given this new role, Archbishop Thomas Becket took his new job very seriously and became a dedicated priest who fought the King’s attempts to rule the Church. On 29 December 1170, Becket had argued with King Henry II over the division of power between the King and the Church. Thomas lost his temper and excommunicated some of his fellow bishops. When Henry heard of the news, he became infuriated and is said to have uttered the words “Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest!”. Four of Henry’s knights took this literally and confronted Becket. They demanded that Becket pardon these men and when he refused to do so, one of the knights sliced off the top of Becket’s head with a sword. Henry was horrified when he heard the news as he believed that it was his words that had been the cause of the death. As an act of sorrow, Henry wore sackcloth and ashes, and starved himself for three days. Soon after Becket’s death, local people began to report miracles associated with items which were covered in Becket’s blood and regarded him as a martyr. Becket became a saint and his tomb at the Cathedral became a shrine and pilgrimage site.

Why I chose this item

I chose this painting because of its incredible detail and thought-provoking backstory. Up close, you can see the cracked oil which creates a visual for how old it really is. The backstory between each small addition to the painting intrigued me to analyse the painting further and look beyond the actual object itself. As I love history, Becket’s murder is one of my favourite events to research into especially as it is a local historical tragedy. I think people often overlook the painting, only viewing it as just a large piece of art; but if you look further, it unveils a story of misfortune, woe and remorse.