The Church of St. Lawrence, Lohja

The Church of St Lawrence (built 1470–1490) in Lohja (Uusimaa) has a full program of late medieval paintings still present. The paintings, dated to 1510–1522, were restaured in the 1880´s but most of the overpaintings and Finnish texts were later removed during the conservation in 1953–1957. Because of these works done to them, the paintings appear more colorful and bright than most of their counterparts from the same period. The motifs include a full cycle of the salvation history as well as miracles of Virgin Mary, scenes from the Old Testament and several images of saints. A distinctively unique motif among the Finnish medieval mural paintings is the great depiction of loose limbs floating in the air on the north chancel wall – identified as the fate of the damned souls. There are also morality motifs of milk magic and horse trade housed in the porch. The paintings in Lohja have similar style and motifs as paintings in the Hattula Church and their painters may have been from the same workshops.