A digital (3D) reconstruction of the interior of the nave of Glasgow Cathedral as it might have looked in the early fifteenth century. The view looks from the nave towards the east end and chancel of the church. The interior is shown richly embellished with brightly coloured pigments (polychromy) and fictive (false) ashlar masonry - a common decorative style throughout the Middle Ages. Fragments of the decorative masonry are kept on public display at the Cathedral. Chantry chapels with painted, portable altarpieces or triptychs, fill the bays between the piers of the nave. These chapels were either dedicated to a particular saint or to a wealthy benefactor.

How this image was made

Software and tools used: Blender 3D, Cycles Render Engine, Photoshop

Notes: High-resolution laser-survey data provided by Historic Environment Scotland's Digital Documentation team was used as the principal reference to create a 3D model from which these reconstruction images were produced (rendered). It was necessary to work with optimised model geometry to enable the application of textures and decorations. Additional references were obtained from detailed photographs. The project took around two months and was carried out in close collaboration with Richard Fawcett, Emeritus Professor, School of Art History, University of St Andrews.