Opening the Tomb of King John
The tomb of King John, who died in 1216, was opened twice in 1529 and 1797, in this article I explore what these openings discovered.
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The Coronet of Margaret of York
This glorious object is the fifteenth-century crown or coronet of a member of the medieval English royal family member the Plantagents – She was Margaret of York, the sister of Edward IV and Richard III.
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A shroud brass
A Shroud Brass Brampton church in Norfolk was one of those churches that was resolutely locked for years, and was impossible to get into. The church has had a change of heart and now the building is open every day of visitors, and it was wonderful to finally get in this month – it is one of the only churches
The Twelve Apostles in Art
In this article I look at how to identify figures of the twelve apostles in art, simply by looking at the various objects or ‘attributes’ that they hold.
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Renaissance printing presses
Renaissance Printing Presses This article explores the form and function of Renaissance printing presses. It is difficult to overestimate just what an impact the print revolution had on Renaissance Europe – it had an impact as significant if not greater than the digital revolution. In this article, I want to use some interesting visual evidence to understand how Renaissance printing
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The Violent History of Glastonbury Tor
Sitting above the town of Glastonbury and presiding over the Somerset Levels is a large hill called Glastonbury Tor, it is a beautiful place but has a violent history.
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Donor images in medieval art
What are donor images? Donor images are figures of the patrons of a work of art, and their incorporation into paintings, stained glass and in other contexts was a common occurrence in the late medieval West. Often these images are shown interacting with other images within a work of art, with figures of the saints or of the Holy Trinity.
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A lost medieval painted rood screen
So much medieval art has been lost since the mid 16th century, here I look at some wonderful visual evidence of a lost medieval painrted rood screen from Norfolk.
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The Mass in Van der Weyden’s Seven Sacraments
This article looks in detail at the various depictions of the Mass in Rogier Van der Weyden’s Seven Sacraments Altarpiece.
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Stained and Painted Cloths
In this article I want to look briefly at neglected type of textile that was common in medieval Europe, stained and painted cloths.
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Wax votive offerings
This article explores the form, significance and purpose of a series of wax votive offerings discovered in Exeter Cathedral during the Second World War.
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The Somerton medieval altarpiece
At Somerton church in Oxfordshire can be found a medieval altarpiece depicting the Last Supper.
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