This photographer pairs contemporary images with Renaissance religious iconography – the results are seriously remarkable!
Photographer and churchwarden Jim Grover discovered a remarkable Victorian family Bible hidden in the vestry of St James’ Church, Clapham. Its pages contained the 1872 marriage record of a couple whose Bible had mysteriously disappeared from the family – and whose story has now inspired Grover’s new exhibition, Drawn into Your Presence. The post This photographer pairs contemporary images with…
In a truly remarkable find, photographer Jim Grover unearthed a 1870 edition of the Imperial Family Bible during a routine church vestry search. The Bible, initially lost after Samuel Relf and Louisa Burton's 1872 marriage at St James’ Church in south London, resurfaced after a century and a half. The giant family Bible, weighing 9.5kg and comprising 1,368 pages, was published by Blackie & Son.
It aimed to serve as both a devotional tool and a centerpiece in Victorian homes, featuring 73 steel-plate engravings of famous Renaissance artworks from artists like Titian, Raphael, and Leonardo da Vinci. Twenty of the original 30 paintings are now housed in prestigious art galleries, including the Louvre, Prado, Hermitage, Vatican, and V&A.
Grover, as Churchwarden at St James’, was captivated by the Bible’s engravings, noting their intricate details and profound artistic value. He then paired the engravings with 30 black-and-white photographs taken over the past decade, capturing contemporary church ministry and life in south London. The resulting illustrations, titled "Drawn into Your Presence," contrast the Renaissance paintings with modern photographs, creating a unique dialogue across centuries.
While some pairings are clear, others leave room for interpretation, allowing the past's narratives to resonate with the present.
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