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The Chapel of St. John the Baptist, Nidaros Cathedral

The chapel of St. John the Baptist in the southern transept was consecrated in 1161. Its construction is in a pure and simple Romanesque style. During the Middle Ages, there were two deep cupboards in the apsidal walls where chalices, candlesticks and such were stored. These have since disintegrated and leave behind two gaping holes. In the course of the summer, two new doors will be mounted over these openings, which Håkon Gullvåg will decorate with motifs from the life of St. John the Baptist. The project was still on the drawing board when this text was written, so only a few words will be said about them.

Øivind Lunde, director for Nidaros Cathedral’s Restoration, has commissioned doors that will enclose truly surprising cupboards. Behind the painted doors we will find new doors that encourage the viewer to “leaf”, as in a book, into successive motifs. On weekdays the outer doors will be closed, and they will have a discrete colour that almost makes them melt into the wall. On Sundays these will be opened and we will be invited to see paintings with a more vibrant colour scheme. The cupboard’s four walls slant inwards like a funnel, and these surfaces will be painted in such a way that they merge with the main motif. At the back of this “Sunday-cupboard”, a new door can be opened, but only on feast days. Behind this most inner door will be pictures in pure, beautiful colours. We will see that the sidewalls that are part of the Sunday motifs also are incorporated into the innermost pictures. This is analogous to faith; one uncovers layer after layer, and things are not as they first appear to be.
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