The Ceiling
In the church of the English Martyrs, Goring-by-Sea, an exact copy of Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel Ceiling can be seen. The artwork was carried out by parishioner and sign writer Gary Bevans who is now a Deacon at English Martyrs. Gary spent five and a half years painting the reproduction of the Sistine Chapel Ceiling between 1987-1993 as a gift to the Catholic Church, funded by parishioners and visitors.
Just before his undertaking began, the original Ceiling in Rome was cleaned. The original colours were revealed as bright and vibrant. Gary ordered a special book illustrating this and copied the colours using acrylic paint to recreate a fresco effect. Over 500 individual figures make up the 3500 sqft work with additional windows and popes painted for perspective.
The ceiling was completed in 1993 and remains today the only full sized copy in the world, with the advantage that it is 30ft nearer to the ground than the original.
An hour long documentary was produced in 2008 where the artist takes the viewer step-by-step through the process of painting the Sistine Chapel Ceiling Reproductions.
More information about the film can be viewed by visiting the DVD page.
