St Peter's London Docks - Wapping Lane, London E1

The reredos painting Our Lady of the Docks

The original Lady Chapel altar reredos was destroyed by enemy action during the Second World War. The oil painting, called,'Our Lady of the Lilies', was pierced by shrapnel during a bombing raid.

The new reredos, oil on hardboard, was painted by commision by Anthony Griffin in 1948. The picture shows Our Lady seated on a bollard on the edge of the Western dock. A number of craft are shown, lighters, a tug, a coaster and a larger ship. In the foreground there is evidence of post-war reconstruction.

The painting, known as 'Our Lady of Wapping' or 'Our Lady of the Docks', is illustrative of the Anglo-Catholic desire to place an incarnational faith that is universal in a precise and local context. The same message is communicated in the Seven Sacrament windows by MEA Rope, to be found elsewhere on this site.