Church Monument, Battersea

Watercolour by Daniel Lysons, depicting a Church Monument, Battersea.

This watercolour depicts a funerary monument from a church in Battersea. The most prominent feature is the central shield showcasing a coat of arms, with 3 bull's heads and a bridge, on top of an inscription dedication to the deceased. The text reads "In a a vaulr near this place lyes interr'd the Body of Mr. JAMES BULL Merchant/ Aged 44 years./ Dyed August 16 Anno Domini 1713 to the unspeakable Grief/of his mournful Relict and two children/By whom this Monument is erected to his Memory. In the same vault lyeth ye body/of John Bull only son of James and and Frances Bull who died February the 2nd 1729/Aged 33 years and left behind him a widow and two sons/John and Edmond" . The shield is topped by a helmet crowned by a winged bull's head. Several cherubic faces are framing the monument, as well as elaborate draperies and vegetation decoration. Two smaller and more complex heraldic coats of arms are located at both sides of the bottom area of the monument. These coats of arms are divided in 2 sides. On the left side there are three bull's heads and a bridge. On the right side there is a blue field background with a blue dolphin naiant separated by a diagonal line with three shells.