CovSoc member, and Chair of the Friends of Coventry Cathedral, Martin Williams tells us about Ralph Beyer, an influential artist celebrated for his contribution to Coventry Cathedral. In this article from the newsletter of the Friends, Martin writes…
Insiders/Outsiders started life in 2019 as a nationwide arts festival celebrating refugees from Nazi Europe and their contribution to British culture. Covid-19 intervened to halt live events but the festival continues and has made a long-term commitment to continue celebrating those emigres.
Ralph Beyer (1921-2008) is one of the emigres featured by Insiders/Outsiders in an online conversation that is now available to view on Youtube. Ralph was exiled at the age of sixteen from Nazi Germany and made his home and career in Britain. He was a carver of stone inscriptions, and in Coventry Cathedral we are surrounded by examples of his work.
The most prominent examples are his carvings of the Tablets of the Word in the nave. They were carved in situ as the photo shows. Amongst other Cathedral works he also carved the foundation stone, the Lichfield stone, Bishop Gorton’s memorial in the Ruins and he designed the entrance floor lettering in brass beneath the west screen. The irregularity of his lettering was striking because it broke with the classic formality that was the British tradition.
In the online discussion entitled “The Inscriptions of Ralph Beyer”, the design historian Tanya Harrod talks with John Neilson. John is a sculptor and an author whose book also entitled “The Inscriptions of Ralph Beyer” was published in January 2021.
To find out more about Ralph Beyer, one of Coventry Cathedral’s original artists, you can view the Youtube video using this link or simply search for “The Inscriptions of Ralph Beyer”.
(L to R) Ralph Beyer in the foreground helped to choose the rock from which he carved the Cathedral foundation stone. The 2nd photo shows him carving that stone. Ralph also designed and carved the scallop shaped bowl in the Bethlehem rock to create the Cathedral font shown in photo 3.
