art

Richard and the invisible snake….?

Dec 7, 2018

anniversaries, archaeology, art

coin, Coventry tapestry, Henry VI, Leicester dig, More, portraits, Richard III, snake, Society of Antiquaries, St. Mary’s Hall Coventry, Wars of the Roses

I must have read about this before, but it feels new somehow. Supposedly, the man in blue (see below) is Richard of Gloucester/Richard III. The illustration is part of the Coventry Tapestry, which is housed in St Mary’s Guild Hall, and which is still in the place for which it was created. I wasn’t sure if…
Stained-glass magnificence, courtesy of five Kings of England….

Dec 6, 2018

anniversaries, art, battles, buildings, heraldry

All Souls’ College Oxford, Battle of Bosworth, Calais, devices, dragon, Edward IV, Eton, hawthorn bush, Henry VI, Henry VII, Henry VIII, King’s College Chapel Cambridge, Morpeth Castle, Owen Lord Ogle, portcullis, Richard III, Rose, St. Andrew’s Bothal, stained glass, Thomas Wolsey

This article provides an interesting interpretation of magnificent windows that are to be found in various churches, including King’s College, Cambridge. Henry VI, Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and Henry VIII had a royal hand in these masterpieces. Henry VII, of course, went overboard with all his heraldic symbols, and at King’s College…
The Fabulous Cheapside Hoard….

Dec 3, 2018

art, television reviews

Armada, Armada Jewel, BBC, Cheapside Hoard, Cleopatra, documentaries, Great Fire of London, Isis, jewellery, Nicholas Hilliard, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, St. Paul’s, William Howard Viscount Stafford

I have just watched a fascinating BBC documentary from 2013, concerning the amazing hoard of 17th-Century (and earlier) jewels that was found in Cheapside at the beginning of the 20th Century. The documentary is called Secret Knowledge: The Hidden Jewels of the Cheapside Hoard, and was presented by modern jeweller, Shaun Leane. You can see…
The “naughty” corpse of Henry VI….

Nov 30, 2018

art, Events, The play’s the thing

Anne Neville, Ellen Terry, exhibitions, Hamlet, Henry VI, John Everett Millais, John Singer Sargent, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, medieval clothes, Ophelia, Peter Brook, Richard III, Shakespeare, USA, Victoria and Albert Museum

The link below concerns an exhibition entitled ‘Costuming the Leading Ladies of Shakespeare: From Stratford to Orange County’ at UC Irvine’s Langson Library, West Peltason and Pereira drives, Irvine; www.lib.uci.edu/langson. The exhibition is there through to the end of September. Several amusing anecdotes are described in the article, including one about Lady Anne’s apparent effect…
A MURAL FOR QUEEN ELEANOR

Nov 28, 2018

anniversaries, art, buildings

Charing Cross, Dunstable, Edward I, Edward V, Eleanor Crosses, Eleanor of Castile, Geddington, Grantham, Hardingstone, Henry of Buckingham, Lincoln, Milton Keynes, murals, Richard III, St. Albans, Stamford, Stony Stratford, Waltham, Westcheap, Woburn

Stony Stratford is a small place today but in the medieval era it was along one of the main routes towards London and frequently visited by passing notables. Historically, it is primarily remembered for being the spot where Richard of Gloucester and the Duke of Buckingham finally met up with Edward V…beginning the dramatic chain…
Unveiling a new portrait of Richard III…

Nov 27, 2018

art, buildings, Events

Annette Carson, Dunster, Lord Protector of the Realm, portraits, Richard III, Somerset, The Mediaeval Gallery, Tithe Barn

Steve Beer, who owns fine art gallery The Medieval Gallery in Dunster, Somerset, is set to host a major event on December 1, called ‘Picturing Richard’s World’. The event will be staged in two parts – first, the talks and displays at Dunster Tithe Barn, followed by the unveiling of the new portrait, which is…
So who did Anne Mowbray take after….?

Nov 18, 2018

anniversaries, art, genealogy

Anne Mowbray, Anne of Gloucester, bigamy, Canterbury Cathedral, Cecily Neville, death masks, Doyle’s Official Baronage, Edward III, Edward IV, Edward the Black Prince, Elizabeth Berkeley, Elizabeth Wydeville, facial resemblance, hair colour, Henry Bourchier Earl of Essex, Henry Duke of Warwick, Henry V, Henry VIII, illegitimacy, John Ashdown-Hill, John Earl of Shrewsbury, John Mowbray Duke of Norfolk, Lady Eleanor Talbot, Lady Elizabeth Talbot, Margaret Beauchamp, Richard Beauchamp Earl of Warwick, Richard II, Richard of Salisbury, Richard of Shrewsbury, Richard of Warwick, St. Mary’s Hall Coventry, St. Mary’s Warwick, Thomas Talbot Viscount Lisle, William Bourchier Count of Eu, William Lord Berkeley

What is one of the first things we say on seeing a new baby? Something along the lines of how much the new arrival takes after his/her father/mother/uncle/aunt/grandfather etc. etc. For those of us with a great interest in history, it is almost irresistible to compare various historical figures in the same way. For instance,…
da Vinci and the RAF centenary

Nov 11, 2018

anniversaries, art, battles, Science

air warfare, aviation, engineering, First World War, George Stubbs, horses, Italy, Leonardo da Vinci, painting, parachute, portraits, renaissance, Royal Air Force

Leonardo di ser Piero “da Vinci” (below left) was nearly six months older than Richard III, having been born in the Republic of Florence on 15 April 1452. Over his lifetime, which ended in 1519, he is best known for his paintings, such as The Last Supper or la Gioconda. However, he also left us…
The Bayeux Tapestry – in action….!

Nov 9, 2018

art, battles

Anglo-Saxons, Battle of Hastings, Bayeux Tapestry, Normans, propaganda, videos

If you haven’t seen this before, it’s well worth watching. Very clever.
Romsey Abbey and the “dark, disturbing” painting….

Oct 29, 2018

art, buildings

Dissolution of the Monasteries, Edith of Scotland, Hampshire, Henry I, Henry VIII, paintings, Romsey Abbey, St. Aethelflaeda

Well, I’m afraid I find the above picture outlandish. She looks as if her neck has been twisted and then pulled! Why do religious houses think such things are desirable and respectful? To me they are anything but. I know, I know, it’s a matter of taste, and beauty is in the eye of the…