One of the first things you will notice in the Chapel of St John the Baptist is the reredos - the painting above the altar - by Patrick Procktor (1936-2003), the 'Baptism of Christ'.
Procktor’s painted reredos was commissioned and given to the Cathedral by one of the Cathedral Canons, John Kelly, in 1984. In the painting, St John is seen baptising Jesus while bystanders point towards the cross (the tree) which represents the crucifixion. On the far left of the painting, St John’s extended right arm offers an invitation to all to participate in the baptism.
Dublin-born Procktor took his inspiration from the artist Poussin’s seventeenth century take on the scene, which is housed in the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
Stained Glass Window
The stained glass window in the chapel depicting St John the Baptist is by Christopher Webb (1952). It replaces a window by W. Wailes (1843) which was blown out in World War II. The wreath shows flowers likely to be found growing wild in Sussex on 24th June, St John’s Day. A Maltese Cross, representing the Knights of St John, and a Catherine wheel can also be seen.
Memorials
Standing against the south wall in the chapel is the impressive memorial to Margaret Miller, wife of Sir John Miller and family. The monument, erected shortly after 1701, consists of two Corinthian pillars, a baroque top with a crest, and two mourning cherubs. The chapel was renovated in 1924 in memory of Sir Hubert Miller’s son who was killed in World War I.
The big black slab visible on the floor of the chapel and bearing the words 'Redditurae animae depositum', is thought to be the grave slab of Bishop Henry King, whose monument can be seen in the north transept..