Oxgodby

This is the town where Birkin is living when he uncovers the painting in the church. It is a small, quiet, rural area surrounded by woods, orchards, and meadows. Birkin describes it as a "vast and magnificent landscape" (pg. 14). The people are friendly and several, including the Ellerbecks, take Birkin under their wings, inviting him for dinners and other events.

The Painting

Birkin is hired to uncover a painting in the Oxgodby church's arch. Throughout the book, the painting is slowly uncovered and restored. It is a Judgment painting. A depiction of Christ was located in the apex of the arch. The painter had given him a sharp beard, drooped moustache, and heavy, lidded eyes. His garment was an ultramarine, which had been made with ground lapis lazuli. Birkin sees the painting's Christ as uncompromising and threatening. The painting also has notabilities, a seraphic cast, and a...