A Brocken spectre is an image projected by the sun onto cloud or mist. It has two components: the
spectre, a shadow of the viewer; and the glory, an iridescent spectrum around the viewer's head.
Brocken Spectre, by Charles Monkhouse, has developed the generation of Brocken spectres for
sacred sites across the UK. It was first shown shown at Rievaulx Abbey during Holy Week 2017.
Brocken Spectre was supported by Arts Council England and worked with English Heritage at Rievaulx Abbey.
Brocken Spectre was developed through a year of experimentation and testing. We sought advice from Les Cowley, expert in Atmospheric optics, and from companies that specialise in generating mist.
Photography, by Carl Whitham, played a vital part of the process producing images for analysis. In these images, the spectre is usually but not always, that of the camera.