© 2009 Catherine Burke "Berringer's Beauty"
Original Art 16x20 Pastel on Ampersand Board
I photographed the St. Nicholas Abbey in Barbados in 2008 and recreated it in pastel in 2009.
St. Nicholas Abbey is one of three remaining Jacobean mansions in the Eastern hemisphere and currently a working sugar mill and rum factory.
Around 1658 it was built by Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Berringer for the woman he loved. Soon after settling into the mansion,
a neighbor began competing for the affections of Berringer's wife and either shot him in a dual or had him poisoned (there are 2
versions to the story). After Berringer's death the neighbor married Berringer's wife and took over the plantation. Later, a
granddaughter removed the neighbor's name from the plantation determined that he would not have the honor of having the
place named after him. This is also why I chose to honor Lt. Col. Benjamin Berringer by calling my painting, "Berringer's Beauty".