art
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Here’s a smile for New Year’s Eve. Was it ever a 15th century mode—even for as briefly as a month—for men to, um, stick their bottoms out for the sake of fashion….? Look at the two gents talking lower centre in the image above. Are they or are they not adopting a stance that ensures…
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This was shown on BBC2 over three consecutive Mondays, featuring an all-Italian excavation of the abandoned city and the British volcanologist Dr. Chris Jackson. It featured the familiar story of the two-day eruption and pyrochastic flow killing thousands, including Pliny the Elder, before they could escape as many ran from the lava towards the sea…
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Today, 16 October, in 1987 something happened that most of us who are old enough will remember very clearly. Overnight we’d endured the raging of a terrible storm (see here, here and here). The resultant destruction of property and trees meant that Sevenoaks in Kent no longer had its famous seven oaks! In the…
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The disgraceful second marriage of the unpleasant 3rd Earl of Arundel….
“Copped Hat”, annulment, Arundel Castle, bigamy, Bodleian Library, child marriage, clement vi, dispensations, Earl of Arundel, Edmund Crouchback, Edward II, Eleanor of Lancaster, executions, Fitzalans, Havering atte Bower, Henry III, Henry of Lancaster, Hugh Despencer the Younger, illegitimate children, Isabel le Despenser, John Beaumont, Kathryn Warner, Lewes Priory, Limoges, National Portrait Gallery, popes, prisoners, Saint-Martial, scandal, Sir Edmund Arundel, tournaments, Tower of LondonIn January 1376, 63-year-old Richard Fitzalan, 3rd/10th (depending on how you calculate it) Earl of Arundel, passed away at Arundel Castle and was interred at Lewes Priory, where his 54-year-old second wife had lain to rest since 1372. The earl was nicknamed “Copped Hat” because of the type of gabled headwear he favoured, and he…
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Who wrote the inscription on the tomb of Richard II….?
Anne of Bohemia, Archbishop Thomas Arundel, Archbishop William Courtenay, Bible translators, Chester, confiscation, de heretico comburendo, executions, exile, Henry IV, Henry V, homer, horses, Ireland, Joan of Kent, John of Gaunt, John Wycliffe, King’s Langley, Latin, Lollards, memorials, Old St. Paul’s, Pat Smythe, Pontefract Castle, Richard II, Richard III, royal tombs, showjumping, Terry Jones, usurpers, Westminster Abbey, Who murdered chaucerThe tomb of Richard II and Anne of Bohemia in Westminster Abbey is very well known and recognised. The effigies once held hands but the hands are now missing, and the original magnificence of the tomb can only be imagined. If you go to this link and scroll down to the section headed Burial and…
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I am sure you have all seen the famous triptych of Charles I – one front view and two profiles – and felt that he could have benefitted from two extra heads in real life, or admired the Wilton Diptych of Richard II and significant religious figures. Now there is another triptych on the scene,…
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On 2 August 2019 I wrote this post—which contained the following link https://x.com/liz_lizanderson/status/1016611053394976768 concerning a portion of medieval livery badge thought to be that of Henry Holand, 3rd Duke of Exeter. The 3rd duke fought for Henry VI and died mysteriously at sea, it’s thought at the instruction of the very Yorkist Edward IV. The…
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As I write my failure to find anything online about a particular event, apart from someone’s FB page, leads me to hesitate. But let’s assume it IS what’s happening…. It ‘s said that art galleries are suddenly declining to display the above portrait of Henry VIII, Jane Seymour and the boy Edward VI (who died…
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I had no idea how much work would be involved when I decided to turn out everything in my garage. It’s not a big garage, room for only one vehicle, but it’s packed to the gunnels, believe me. I have the crockery, cutlery, silver, porcelain and glass from the homes of about five late members…
The New Murrey and Blue blog 