In the soaring inner hall of Waterperry House stands Britain’s most ambitious modern fresco project. More than thirty-five artists laboured over five years painting directly into thirty-foot high walls to create an extraordinary work depicting stories and philosophical concepts from the Advaita Indian philosophy (the philosophy of unity).
This work seeks to explore the nature of unity, from the most subtle to the most gross of manifestations, through the Advaita philosophy expounded by the ancient Upanishads of India.
This Self was indeed Braham in the beginning. It knew only Itself as ‘I am Brahman’. Therefore It became all.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad, 1.4.10
The project demanded extraordinary craftsmanship and materials. For the creation of the inner hall, a mix of contemporary and traditional materials and construction techniques was used to create a light interior space, featuring a contemporary steel and glass staircase and bridge, surrounded by a very large area of wall space of traditional lime plaster in preparation for the fresco work to follow. The artists had to re-discover the exacting art of fresco, painting directly onto wet plaster. Pigment, gold leaf, eggs and lime plaster are just some of the materials they used. They worked in concert to the tight timescale demanded by fresco work, maintaining consistency across the whole of the vast surface of the Artists Hall.
Today, the completed fresco paintings serve as a modern-day expression of the ancient Advaita philosophy, speaking of a unity behind all the apparent differences. The work is open to the public most of the year. Since the frescos were completed in 2006, over 5,000 visitors have seen them on guided tours, and countless others attending events in the house. The tour guides speak about the history of the project, the work involved in bringing it to fruition and the stories and philosophical concepts behind the images used in the paintings. Recent visitors have commented on the tour as ‘fascinating’, ‘enlightening’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘totally enjoyable’!
When you leave this place, it makes you think about your life, how you live it and what is important.
A visitor to the frescos
The frescos can be seen in the main house at the Waterperry Estate.