Wall Painting of Becket's Murder, Bramley

What it is

This wall painting is on the south wall of St James's Church in Bramley, Hampshire, above the original south doorway. It was painted in the late 12th or early 13th century, believed to be within about fifty years of Becket's murder in 1170. It shows the four knights—Reginald FitzUrse, Hugh de Morville, William de Tracy and Richard le Breton—attacking Becket, who kneels at the centre, while Edward Grim, who recorded the event and was wounded defending him, blocks a sword with his bare hand.

Why it matters

Painted soon after the murder, this image shows how quickly the story of Becket's death—and the eyewitness account of Edward Grim—became known and depicted in English parish churches, spreading his cult as a martyr across the country.

Look closer

• Why do you think the artist included Edward Grim, an eyewitness, in the scene?
• What might a church want visitors to feel when they saw this painting above the doorway?
• How does this image compare with written eyewitness accounts of the same event?