A wooden panel, missing for more than 30 years, has been rediscovered at Hexham Abbey in northern England and may be the long-sought missing piece in a medieval series of paintings. Using state-of-the-art multispectral imaging, researchers believe the panel once formed part of the famous Dance of Death sequence.
The Dance of Death panels, painted around 1500, depict skeletal Death confronting figures of power such as a king, emperor, cardinal, and pope. These striking images, housed at Hexham Abbey, highlight a powerful medieval theme: the inevitability of death, regardless of rank or station.
For centuries, art historians speculated that a fifth introductory panel once existed, showing the “caller” who summoned figures into the dance. Evidence included an 18th-century sketch by antiquarian John Carter and references in Charles Clement Hodges’s 1888 monograph on the abbey.
The rediscovery came in 2017, when a panel unseen since the 1990s was found in the abbey’s triforium, a rarely visited upper gallery. Though badly discoloured, it was given over to specialists for investigation.
Revealing the Hidden Image
The 1790s sketch by John Carter – image courtesy Northumbria University
The Hexham Abbey Conservation Group enlisted Dr Charis Theodorakopoulos, a heritage scientist at Northumbria University, who used an advanced XpeCAM camera system developed by XpectralTEK. This non-invasive imaging process works across the electromagnetic spectrum, from near ultraviolet to infrared, allowing researchers to peer beneath centuries of grime and varnish.
By merging images taken at red, green, and blue wavelengths, Dr Theodorakopoulos revealed the faint figure of a man in Tudor dress—believed to be the elusive “caller” panel. Additional analysis identified medieval pigments beneath the varnish, strengthening the case for its connection to the other panels.
“The investigation involved non-destructive multispectral imaging, which allowed us to examine the paint layers without extracting samples from the panel,” explains Dr Theodorakopoulos. “The discovery of this panel that may belong to the Dance of Death series of paintings is a monumental achievement for Hexham Abbey and for art conservation. This is not only a rediscovery of an important piece of art history, but it also demonstrates the potential of modern technology in unlocking the secrets of our cultural heritage.”
Collaboration and Technology
Hexham Abbey – photo by Medievalists.net
The project was part of a wider collaboration with Hexham Abbey Conservation Group, combining scientific research with historical expertise.
“The technical skills that Dr Theodorakopoulos and Northumbria University brought to our investigations cannot be underestimated,” says Dr Tom Kelsey of Hexham Abbey. “Melding together the spectral analysis and the history of the Abbey’s mediaeval art collection has proved so helpful – and will be of enduring interest to many academics and interested observers.”
The work also showcased the versatility of modern imaging technology. “Spectral Imaging linked to AI as a cloud-based solution is today used from agriculture to materials identification and study in a surface,” explains Antonio Cardoso, CEO and co-founder of XpectralTEK. “In this particular case XpeCAM contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the materials surface, bringing to light most of the information hidden by time.”
Hexham Abbey and Its Medieval Art
Hexham Abbey, located in Northumberland in northern England, is one of the region’s most historic churches. Founded in the 7th century by St Wilfrid, it later became an Augustinian priory and remains a centre of worship today. The abbey is renowned for its medieval architecture and art, including the celebrated Dance of Death panels, which are unique within British church art.
These paintings hold special importance because such works were often destroyed during the religious upheavals of the Reformation. The survival—and now possible restoration—of a fifth panel offers rare insight into medieval beliefs about mortality and the transience of earthly power.
Top Image: From L-R: The painting photographed in the 1960s, as it looked when rediscovered in 2017, how it looks when using MSI False Colour Infrared, and MSI-RGB with virtual varnish removal. Photo courtesy Northumbria University
A wooden panel, missing for more than 30 years, has been rediscovered at Hexham Abbey in northern England and may be the long-sought missing piece in a medieval series of paintings. Using state-of-the-art multispectral imaging, researchers believe the panel once formed part of the famous Dance of Death sequence.
The Dance of Death panels, painted around 1500, depict skeletal Death confronting figures of power such as a king, emperor, cardinal, and pope. These striking images, housed at Hexham Abbey, highlight a powerful medieval theme: the inevitability of death, regardless of rank or station.
For centuries, art historians speculated that a fifth introductory panel once existed, showing the “caller” who summoned figures into the dance. Evidence included an 18th-century sketch by antiquarian John Carter and references in Charles Clement Hodges’s 1888 monograph on the abbey.
The rediscovery came in 2017, when a panel unseen since the 1990s was found in the abbey’s triforium, a rarely visited upper gallery. Though badly discoloured, it was given over to specialists for investigation.
Revealing the Hidden Image
The Hexham Abbey Conservation Group enlisted Dr Charis Theodorakopoulos, a heritage scientist at Northumbria University, who used an advanced XpeCAM camera system developed by XpectralTEK. This non-invasive imaging process works across the electromagnetic spectrum, from near ultraviolet to infrared, allowing researchers to peer beneath centuries of grime and varnish.
By merging images taken at red, green, and blue wavelengths, Dr Theodorakopoulos revealed the faint figure of a man in Tudor dress—believed to be the elusive “caller” panel. Additional analysis identified medieval pigments beneath the varnish, strengthening the case for its connection to the other panels.
“The investigation involved non-destructive multispectral imaging, which allowed us to examine the paint layers without extracting samples from the panel,” explains Dr Theodorakopoulos. “The discovery of this panel that may belong to the Dance of Death series of paintings is a monumental achievement for Hexham Abbey and for art conservation. This is not only a rediscovery of an important piece of art history, but it also demonstrates the potential of modern technology in unlocking the secrets of our cultural heritage.”
Collaboration and Technology
The project was part of a wider collaboration with Hexham Abbey Conservation Group, combining scientific research with historical expertise.
“The technical skills that Dr Theodorakopoulos and Northumbria University brought to our investigations cannot be underestimated,” says Dr Tom Kelsey of Hexham Abbey. “Melding together the spectral analysis and the history of the Abbey’s mediaeval art collection has proved so helpful – and will be of enduring interest to many academics and interested observers.”
The work also showcased the versatility of modern imaging technology. “Spectral Imaging linked to AI as a cloud-based solution is today used from agriculture to materials identification and study in a surface,” explains Antonio Cardoso, CEO and co-founder of XpectralTEK. “In this particular case XpeCAM contributed to gaining a deeper understanding of the materials surface, bringing to light most of the information hidden by time.”
Hexham Abbey and Its Medieval Art
Hexham Abbey, located in Northumberland in northern England, is one of the region’s most historic churches. Founded in the 7th century by St Wilfrid, it later became an Augustinian priory and remains a centre of worship today. The abbey is renowned for its medieval architecture and art, including the celebrated Dance of Death panels, which are unique within British church art.
These paintings hold special importance because such works were often destroyed during the religious upheavals of the Reformation. The survival—and now possible restoration—of a fifth panel offers rare insight into medieval beliefs about mortality and the transience of earthly power.
To learn more, please see the article, “Recent Studies of the Hexham Abbey Painting Collection,” by Thomas Kelsey and Charis Theodorakopoulos, published in the Hexham Historian.
Top Image: From L-R: The painting photographed in the 1960s, as it looked when rediscovered in 2017, how it looks when using MSI False Colour Infrared, and MSI-RGB with virtual varnish removal. Photo courtesy Northumbria University
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