 The condition of the frescoes is variable; some parts are well-preserved whilst others are missing completely, or barely visible.Much of the painted area has been pitted to provide a key for the subsequent plastering-over (see the lower area in the middle of the Presentation scene).The subjects of the missing or fragmentary scenes are a matter of some scholarly controversy with some writers proposing that these scenes made up a cycle on the "Life of the Virgin", and others one on the "Life of Christ"; these views are described below.