- Personal website: www.soosterwijk.org
- Art History, Middle English literature and drama, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, Medieval Literature, The Medieval Danse Macabre, and 39 moreTomb Monuments, Medieval Sculpture and Iconography, Childhood History, Portraiture, History of Art History, Iconography, Shakespeare, Medieval Art, Death Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, History of Childhood and Youth, Death, Commemoration and Memory, Childhood studies, History of Childhood, Medieval Iconography, Church monuments, The Carnivalesque, Burgundian Court, Burgundian history, Medieval Portraiture, Medieval Danse Macabre, The Holy Fool, Tomb Sculpture, Monumental Brasses, Holy Kinship, History, Archaeology, Culture, Ancient History, Classical Archaeology, Visual Arts, Manuscript Studies, Medieval Church History, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Material Culture, Material Culture Studies, Materiality, and Memory and materialityedit
- Art historian and medievalistedit
This edition of Lydgate’s 'Dance of Death' offers a detailed comparison of the different text versions of the poem, as well as a new scholarly edition and translation of Marchant’s 1485 French 'Danse Macabre' publication, along with an... more
This edition of Lydgate’s 'Dance of Death' offers a detailed comparison of the different text versions of the poem, as well as a new scholarly edition and translation of Marchant’s 1485 French 'Danse Macabre' publication, along with an art-historical analysis of its woodcuts.
Richly illustrated, the book addresses the cultural context and historical circumstances of Lydgate’s poem and its model, the mural of 1424-25 in Paris with the accompanying French poem, as well as their precursors, notably the 'Vado Mori' poems and the Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead. It discusses authorship, the personification and visualisation of Death, and the wider dissemination of the Dance in medieval wall painting, print, and drama. The edited texts include commentaries, notes, and a glossary.
Richly illustrated, the book addresses the cultural context and historical circumstances of Lydgate’s poem and its model, the mural of 1424-25 in Paris with the accompanying French poem, as well as their precursors, notably the 'Vado Mori' poems and the Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead. It discusses authorship, the personification and visualisation of Death, and the wider dissemination of the Dance in medieval wall painting, print, and drama. The edited texts include commentaries, notes, and a glossary.
Research Interests: English Literature, Death Studies, Middle English, Medieval Studies, Word and Image Studies, and 12 moreIllustration, Manuscript Studies, Medieval Drama, Printing History, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Mortality, Middle English literature and culture, Black Death, John Lydgate, French language and literature of Middle Ages, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
This important new collection of essays focuses on the production of church monuments in the ‘long fourteenth century’, rather than on the interests of the patron that have been the primary centre of attention in most recent work. By the... more
This important new collection of essays focuses on the production of church monuments in the ‘long fourteenth century’, rather than on the interests of the patron that have been the primary centre of attention in most recent work. By the fourteenth century, tomb production was a veritable industry in its own right. Monuments were no longer the prerogative of royalty, the higher ranking clergy, and founders of religious houses, but were accessible to a wider section of society.
The contributors have adopted a variety of perspectives. Whereas some espouse an archaeological approach, other essays are art-historical, with excerpts from literary texts providing further comparisons, e.g. a discussion of the Wife of Bath's attitude towards tomb monuments in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Several authors use the results of petrological analysis to underpin their conclusions, while drawing links between monumental sculpture and other surviving sculpture of the period, the potential of both of which have not hitherto received sufficient attention. Surface finishes are also discussed. Moreover, full transcriptions and translations are provided of all the known tomb contracts of the period, together with commentaries on the monuments, those commemorated by them, and the craftsmen who made them.
Medieval commemoration and tomb monuments are attracting increased interest from scholars. This corpus of cutting-edge research will shed new light on an aspect of medieval craftsmanship which, for the most part, can be seen only through a glass darkly.
Contents:
Sally Badham & Sophie Oosterwijk Introduction; Sally Badham What Constituted a ‘Workshop’ and How Did Workshops Operate? Some Problems and Questions; Aleksandra McClain Cross Slab Monuments in the Late Middle Ages: Patronage, Production, and Locality in Northern England; Mark Downing Military Effigies in Eastern England: Evidence of a High-Status Workshop of c.1295-1350; Robin Emmerson The Fourteenth-Century Tomb Effigies at Aldworth, Berkshire, and their Relationship to the Figures on the West Screen of Exeter Cathedral; Rhianydd Biebrach Effigial Monuments in Fourteenth-Century Glamorgan: Patronage, Production and Plague; Jane Crease ‘Not Commonly Re-puted or Taken for a Saincte’: the Output of a Northern Workshop in the Late Fourteenth and Early Fifteenth Centuries; Marie Louise Sauerberg, Ray Marchant & Lucy Wrapson The Tester over the Tomb of Edward, the Black Prince: the Splendour of Late-Medieval Polychromy in England; Sally Badham & Sophie Oosterwijk ‘Cest Endenture Fait Parentre’: English Tomb Contracts of the Long Fourteenth Century; Glossary; Bibliography; Index."""
The contributors have adopted a variety of perspectives. Whereas some espouse an archaeological approach, other essays are art-historical, with excerpts from literary texts providing further comparisons, e.g. a discussion of the Wife of Bath's attitude towards tomb monuments in Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Several authors use the results of petrological analysis to underpin their conclusions, while drawing links between monumental sculpture and other surviving sculpture of the period, the potential of both of which have not hitherto received sufficient attention. Surface finishes are also discussed. Moreover, full transcriptions and translations are provided of all the known tomb contracts of the period, together with commentaries on the monuments, those commemorated by them, and the craftsmen who made them.
Medieval commemoration and tomb monuments are attracting increased interest from scholars. This corpus of cutting-edge research will shed new light on an aspect of medieval craftsmanship which, for the most part, can be seen only through a glass darkly.
Contents:
Sally Badham & Sophie Oosterwijk Introduction; Sally Badham What Constituted a ‘Workshop’ and How Did Workshops Operate? Some Problems and Questions; Aleksandra McClain Cross Slab Monuments in the Late Middle Ages: Patronage, Production, and Locality in Northern England; Mark Downing Military Effigies in Eastern England: Evidence of a High-Status Workshop of c.1295-1350; Robin Emmerson The Fourteenth-Century Tomb Effigies at Aldworth, Berkshire, and their Relationship to the Figures on the West Screen of Exeter Cathedral; Rhianydd Biebrach Effigial Monuments in Fourteenth-Century Glamorgan: Patronage, Production and Plague; Jane Crease ‘Not Commonly Re-puted or Taken for a Saincte’: the Output of a Northern Workshop in the Late Fourteenth and Early Fifteenth Centuries; Marie Louise Sauerberg, Ray Marchant & Lucy Wrapson The Tester over the Tomb of Edward, the Black Prince: the Splendour of Late-Medieval Polychromy in England; Sally Badham & Sophie Oosterwijk ‘Cest Endenture Fait Parentre’: English Tomb Contracts of the Long Fourteenth Century; Glossary; Bibliography; Index."""
Research Interests: Archaeology, Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Heritage Conservation, and 15 moreHistory of Sculpture, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Archaeology of death and burial, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Monuments, Stone conservation, Medieval Painting, and Medieval Sculpture
""This groundbreaking collection of essays by a host of international experts addresses the many aspects of the Danse Macabre, a subject that has been too often overlooked in Anglo-American scholarship. The Danse was once a major motif... more
""This groundbreaking collection of essays by a host of international experts addresses the many aspects of the Danse Macabre, a subject that has been too often overlooked in Anglo-American scholarship. The Danse was once a major motif that occurred in many different media and spread across Europe in the course of the fifteenth century, from France to England, Germany, Scandinavia, Poland, Spain, Italy and Istria, as the essays in this volume will show.
The Danse Macabre aimed to confront viewers and readers with the prospect of their own demise by showing how Death summons each and every one of us – whether high or low, young or old, rich or poor. It functioned both as a text and as a visual theme, and often in combination, while also lending itself well to performance. Now best known through the satirical woodcuts of Hans Holbein the Younger, the motif was one of several ‘macabre’ themes that developed alongside the moralising tale of the Three Living and the Three Dead and the stark depiction of the cadaver on tomb monuments.
The Danse Macabre was influenced by earlier themes, but thanks to its versatility its own impact went much further. As this corpus of innovative research will show, the Danse inspired sculptors, portrait artists, authors and dramatists such as Shakespeare far more than has been fully recognised until now. From the mural in 1420s Paris and John Lydgate’s poem to the subsequent dissemination in print, Mixed Metaphors will reveal the lasting influence of the Danse on European culture from the Middle Ages to this day.""
The Danse Macabre aimed to confront viewers and readers with the prospect of their own demise by showing how Death summons each and every one of us – whether high or low, young or old, rich or poor. It functioned both as a text and as a visual theme, and often in combination, while also lending itself well to performance. Now best known through the satirical woodcuts of Hans Holbein the Younger, the motif was one of several ‘macabre’ themes that developed alongside the moralising tale of the Three Living and the Three Dead and the stark depiction of the cadaver on tomb monuments.
The Danse Macabre was influenced by earlier themes, but thanks to its versatility its own impact went much further. As this corpus of innovative research will show, the Danse inspired sculptors, portrait artists, authors and dramatists such as Shakespeare far more than has been fully recognised until now. From the mural in 1420s Paris and John Lydgate’s poem to the subsequent dissemination in print, Mixed Metaphors will reveal the lasting influence of the Danse on European culture from the Middle Ages to this day.""
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval Literature, Death Studies, Medieval French Literature, Medieval Studies, and 13 moreMedieval English Literature, Printing History, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Shakespearean Drama, Early Modern English drama, Medieval Art, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Christian Iconography, Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, Medieval Wall Paintings, and Medieval Danse Macabre
This discussion paper raises important questions about 'bronze' (or, more correctly, copper-alloy) monuments from Antiquity to the Renaissance and Baroque, but most of all the medieval period. As such it is an extension of my earlier work... more
This discussion paper raises important questions about 'bronze' (or, more correctly, copper-alloy) monuments from Antiquity to the Renaissance and Baroque, but most of all the medieval period. As such it is an extension of my earlier work on medieval 'precious-metal' effigial monuments in Europe and the survey article published in 2015 in the journal Church Monuments 30. These questions relate in particular to their original appearance (esp. patina), their reception by contemporaries and later generations, and their wider cultural impact, esp. on literature of the period from Catullus to Shakespeare, but also on antiquarian writers. This is a discussion paper: comments (and answers) from all disciplines are very welcome.
Research Interests: Shakespeare, Audience and Reception Studies, History of Sculpture, Portraiture, Late Antiquity, and 15 moreCommemoration (Memory Studies), Commemoration and Memory, Materiality of Art, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Reception of Antiquity, Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Literary studies, Metal Casting, Materiality, Copper, Greek and Roman Portraiture, Monuments, Copper Alloys, and Medieval Sculpture
A miniature in a Flemish manuscript of c. 1464 may show the impact of gilt copper alloy relief tomb monuments on contemporary imagination. A decade earlier Philip the Good had commissioned two such monuments: a triple tomb for his... more
A miniature in a Flemish manuscript of c. 1464 may show the impact of gilt copper alloy relief tomb monuments on contemporary imagination. A decade earlier Philip the Good had commissioned two such monuments: a triple tomb for his great-grandparents Louis of Mâle and Margaret of Brabant and his grandmother Margaret of Flanders in Lille, and a tomb for his great-aunt Joanna of Brabant in Brussels—the latter of stone and wood, however, but made to resemble gilt copper alloy. Other copper alloy monuments were later erected for Philip's daughter-in-law Isabella of Bourbon in Antwerp, his son Charles the Bold and his granddaughter Mary of Burgundy in Bruges, and Mary's husband Maximilian I in Innsbruck. These Burgundian memorials are part of a long tradition of copper alloy monuments that were once found across medieval Europe, starting with the tomb of Rudolph of Rheinfelden († 1080) in Merseburg. Unfortunately our perception of these sumptuous tombs is affected by numerous losses over the centuries, including the triple tomb in Lille and the presumed copper alloy one in Brussels. Thus, the survival of three clusters of medieval royal monuments in England has led to the mistaken belief that the use of "gilt bronze" was a specifically royal preference in England, whereas they were actually exceeded in number by such memorials to the nobility and the clergy. Yet the monument to Prince Afonso in Braga (Portugal) was probably inspired by these English royal tombs. A recently compiled corpus of extant and lost European examples up to 1430 demonstrates their former spread and patrons' choices of material.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Medieval Studies, History of Sculpture, Portraiture, Sculpture, and 15 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Copper, Copper Artefacts, Gothic Sculpture, Memoria, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, Medieval metalwork, Copper Alloys, Effigies, Medieval Sculpture, and Brass
To quote Shakespeare: ‘All that glisters is not gold [...] Gilded tombs do worms infold’ (Merchant of Venice, II, vii). In the late eleventh century a spectacular new type of tomb monument emerged that was inspired directly or indirectly... more
To quote Shakespeare: ‘All that glisters is not gold [...] Gilded tombs do worms infold’ (Merchant of Venice, II, vii). In the late eleventh century a spectacular new type of tomb monument emerged that was inspired directly or indirectly by Antiquity. The earliest known example is the extant gilt cast bronze (more correctly: copper-alloy) effigial tomb of Rudolf of Rheinfelden, duke of Swabia and anti-king to Emperor Henry IV (d. 1080), in Merseburg Cathedral. The material for his monument was clearly chosen for its prestige and its propaganda value: bronze has both biblical connotations and classical – especially imperial – antecedents as evident in the ninth-century bronze equestrian statuette (Louvre, Paris) representing either Charlemagne or his grandson Charles the Bald. However, bronze could also be gilded or polished to resemble gold, and this is how we should consider the present 'dull' appearance of many medieval tombs such as the two 'bronze' episcopal memorials in Amiens Cathedral.
The impact of Rudolf's monument was immediate: others were soon created across Europe, albeit not yet in Italy where marble was favoured instead. This paper discusses the materiality, meaning, manufacture and dissemination of bronze tomb effigies while drawing comparisons with the use of bronze in Antiquity.
The impact of Rudolf's monument was immediate: others were soon created across Europe, albeit not yet in Italy where marble was favoured instead. This paper discusses the materiality, meaning, manufacture and dissemination of bronze tomb effigies while drawing comparisons with the use of bronze in Antiquity.
Research Interests: Death Studies, Shakespeare, Medieval Archaeology, History of Sculpture, Late Antiquity, and 20 moreCommemoration (Memory Studies), Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Greek Sculpture, Copper, Roman Sculpture, Gothic Sculpture, Memoria, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, Greek and Roman Sculpture, Copper Alloys, Renaissance Sculpture, Medieval Sculpture, Greek Bronze Statuary, and Monuments Conservation
Probably the most prestigious monuments produced in the Middle Ages were those constructed from (semi-)precious metals, sometimes enamelled or inlaid with real or fictive jewels. Some survive, especially in England and Germany. However,... more
Probably the most prestigious monuments produced in the Middle Ages were those constructed from (semi-)precious metals, sometimes enamelled or inlaid with real or fictive jewels. Some survive, especially in England and Germany. However, many more have been destroyed, especially in France, and are known of only through antiquarian sources. This preliminary materiality-based survey comprises 119 extant and lost examples throughout Europe in the 350-year period to 1430, starting with the monument to Rudolph of Swabia (d. 1080). It shows how magnificent such monuments could be, how widespread this type of monument once was and how it was favoured within certain families and locations, but also how much we have lost. To demonstrate the splendour of such memorials and the techniques involved, a case study is provided of the virtually unknown, but internationally important monument of Prince Afonso (d. 1400) in Braga Cathedral in northern Portugal, which has recently been the subject of detailed technical analysis.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Death, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Shakespeare, and 23 moreMetallurgy, Medieval Archaeology, History of Sculpture, Portraiture, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Antiquarianism, Church monuments, Tomb Sculpture, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Metal Casting, Copper, Archaeology of death and burial, Gothic Sculpture, Memoria, Self Representation, Copper Alloys, Monuments and Commemoration, and Portraiture and the Problematic of Representation
This article discusses three lost medieval cast copper-alloy effigial tomb monuments formerly in Hildesheim Cathedral (Germany) that commemorated three local bishops. These memorials are late examples of the long local tradition of bronze... more
This article discusses three lost medieval cast copper-alloy effigial tomb monuments formerly in Hildesheim Cathedral (Germany) that commemorated three local bishops. These memorials are late examples of the long local tradition of bronze casting. They were removed from the cathedral in the late 1780s and presumably destroyed, but are still known through a set of antiquarian drawings. This is part of our ongoing survey of 'precious-metal' effigial tomb monuments in medieval Europe 1080-1430, which was initially published in the journal 'Church Monuments' 30 (2015), pp. 7-105. This update was published in the Monumental Brass Society Bulletin 135 (June 2017).
Research Interests: Medieval History, Medieval Studies, Portraiture, Commemoration and Memory, Church History, and 11 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Antiquarianism, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Germany, Metal Casting, Copper, Medieval Bishops, and Portraiture and the Problematic of Representation
New discoveries and information are helping us to expand our survey, but also raise further questions about materiality, memoria, status and identity. Particularly intriguing are the ongoing case studies of precious-metal effigial tombs... more
New discoveries and information are helping us to expand our survey, but also raise further questions about materiality, memoria, status and identity. Particularly intriguing are the ongoing case studies of precious-metal effigial tombs in Hildesheim and Amiens, where more examples are now known than we previously suspected, but we are reliant on antiquarian sources for evidence about them. Two episcopal monuments survive in Amiens Cathedral, which may well have been part of a larger series within the city, but questions surround their style, date, manufacture and placement. This short paper for the online MMR Newsletter (https://mmr.sites.uu.nl/) provides a further update to our project. Our (re)search continues.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, History of Sculpture, Sculpture, and 10 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Antiquarianism, Church monuments, Memory and materiality, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Art History, Materiality, Archaeology of death and burial, and Memoria
Article by Prof. Norman Hammond on the recent survey article/inventory of medieval effigial monuments in copper alloy, silver, gilt and enamel, published in The Times No.71928,4 June 2016, p.82.
Research Interests:
Research Interests:
This thesis examines the character, spread, development and influence of the Dance of Death or danse macabre theme in late-medieval England within its literary, socio- and art-historical context. It traces the origins of the theme and,... more
This thesis examines the character, spread, development and influence of the Dance of Death or danse macabre theme in late-medieval England within its literary, socio- and art-historical context. It traces the origins of the theme and, following the deaths in 1422 of the English king Henry V and Charles VI of France, its adaptation to the political circumstances in English-occupied Paris by means of a famous (lost) mural in the cemetery of Les Saints Innocents painted in 1424-25. The French poem in this mural was translated into English by John Lydgate and incorporated into a (lost) painted scheme at Old St Paul's Cathedral, London. The theme subsequently spread to other parts of Europe. Two murals in Basel were to influence the artist Hans Holbein the Younger, who designed a famous series of danse macabre woodcuts (published in 1538). The thesis explores the likelihood of cryptoportraits within the Paris mural and other schemes. The loss of the majority of English medieval art means that the true importance of the danse macabre has hitherto been underestimated. However, influences of the danse macabre can be identified in English late-medieval and renaissance poetry and drama, tomb iconography, misericords, prints and other forms of art.
Research Interests: Comparative Literature, Iconography, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Death, and 16 moreDeath Studies, Medieval French Literature, Medieval Studies, Medieval English Literature, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Medieval France, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Culture, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Middle English literature and culture, 15th Century Burgundy, Medieval Iconography, Medieval Wall Paintings, and Medieval Danse Macabre
Laurens van Zanten's 'Treur-tooneel der doorluchtige vrouwen' (The tragedy of illustrious women) was published the Amsterdam publisher Jan ten Hoorn as the all-female counterpart to his expanded luxury 1698 edition of the all-male... more
Laurens van Zanten's 'Treur-tooneel der doorluchtige vrouwen' (The tragedy of illustrious women) was published the Amsterdam publisher Jan ten Hoorn as the all-female counterpart to his expanded luxury 1698 edition of the all-male 'Vorstelijk treurtoonneel' by Lambert van den Bosch, both illustrated with dramatic scenes engraved by Jan (and Casper) Luyken. Both Dutch texts belong to the 'de casibus' tradition after Boccaccio's famous work 'De casibus virorum illustrium' but especially Van Zanten's compilation is sensationalist hack work and neither work is read nowadays. Relevant for the study of the medieval and later Dance of Death tradition, however, are the comparisons with the Wheel of Fortune and the interest in topical stories to attract and engage readers.
Research Interests:
The Dance of Death has been a recurring motif in British culture since its first arrival in the later 1420s, from the Middle English poem by John Lydgate and its incorporation in the mural cycle at Pardon Churchyard in London to Thomas... more
The Dance of Death has been a recurring motif in British culture since its first arrival in the later 1420s, from the Middle English poem by John Lydgate and its incorporation in the mural cycle at Pardon Churchyard in London to Thomas Rowlandson's satirical 'English Dance of Death' etchings with accompanying verses by William Combe (published 1814-16) and W.H. Auden's one-act play in verse and prose of 1933. This paper offers an overview with famous and lesser-known examples in text and image, including a single surviving stained-glass panel in Norwich and tthe recently discovered 15th-century wall painting in Llancarfan (Wales).
Research Interests:
Original Dutch contributions to the long European Danse Macabre tradition are relatively few. It is true that some Dutch artists of the Golden Age, such as Adriaen van de Venne, Rembrandt, Jan Lievens and Jan Steen, depicted variations... more
Original Dutch contributions to the long European Danse Macabre
tradition are relatively few. It is true that some Dutch artists of the
Golden Age, such as Adriaen van de Venne, Rembrandt, Jan Lievens and Jan Steen, depicted variations on the theme, as I have demonstrated in an earlier article, but these tend to be isolated, stand-alone motifs rather than complete cycles.
In 1707 the 'Schouw-toneel des doods' with a text by the Dutch physician-poet Salomon van Rusting was published in Amsterdam. Although seven of its thirty engravings by a hitherto unidentified artist (most likely Caspar Luyken) are based on woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger, the 'Schouw-toneel' is otherwise an independent Dutch reinterpretation of the Dance of Death. Van Rusting was known among contemporaries for his parodies and burlesque writing, with a penchant for scatological humour. His epic 'Schouw-toneel', which combines humour with a brief moral warning at the end of each long poem, was evidently well received at the time: besides five Dutch editions in 1707, 1726, 1735, 1741 and 1801, there was J.G. Meintel’s German translation 'Schau-Platz des Todes oder Todten-Tanz', published in Nuremberg in 1736.
Today the 'Schouw-toneel' is barely known and few studies have been devoted to it. Its prolific and versatile author has also been largely forgotten: already in 1824 his poetry was dismissed as messy, tasteless and not very funny. This essay takes a closer look at the author of the 'Schouw-toneel', its text and illustrations, and its place within the long Danse Macabre tradition in Europe.
tradition are relatively few. It is true that some Dutch artists of the
Golden Age, such as Adriaen van de Venne, Rembrandt, Jan Lievens and Jan Steen, depicted variations on the theme, as I have demonstrated in an earlier article, but these tend to be isolated, stand-alone motifs rather than complete cycles.
In 1707 the 'Schouw-toneel des doods' with a text by the Dutch physician-poet Salomon van Rusting was published in Amsterdam. Although seven of its thirty engravings by a hitherto unidentified artist (most likely Caspar Luyken) are based on woodcuts by Hans Holbein the Younger, the 'Schouw-toneel' is otherwise an independent Dutch reinterpretation of the Dance of Death. Van Rusting was known among contemporaries for his parodies and burlesque writing, with a penchant for scatological humour. His epic 'Schouw-toneel', which combines humour with a brief moral warning at the end of each long poem, was evidently well received at the time: besides five Dutch editions in 1707, 1726, 1735, 1741 and 1801, there was J.G. Meintel’s German translation 'Schau-Platz des Todes oder Todten-Tanz', published in Nuremberg in 1736.
Today the 'Schouw-toneel' is barely known and few studies have been devoted to it. Its prolific and versatile author has also been largely forgotten: already in 1824 his poetry was dismissed as messy, tasteless and not very funny. This essay takes a closer look at the author of the 'Schouw-toneel', its text and illustrations, and its place within the long Danse Macabre tradition in Europe.
Research Interests:
This paper discusses the impact, appearance and finish of medieval gilt bronze (i.e. copper alloy) effigial monuments. Comparisons are made between the two extant cast bronze episcopal monuments in Amiens Cathedral to Evrard de Fouilloy... more
This paper discusses the impact, appearance and finish of medieval gilt bronze (i.e. copper alloy) effigial monuments. Comparisons are made between the two extant cast bronze episcopal monuments in Amiens Cathedral to Evrard de Fouilloy (d. 1222) and his successor Geoffroi d'Eu (d. 1236) and the cenotaph of the Habsburg emperor Maximilian I (d. 1519) in the Hofkirche in Innsbruck with its over-life-sized ancestral and kinship statues surrounding the tomb. All were presumably intended to receive gilding, but that certainly never happened in the case of Maximilian's monument.
The impact of such sumptuous 'gold' tombs resonates in the work of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as we see in the line 'Gilded tombs do worms enfold' (The Merchant of Venice, II, vii, 69). Conversely there are curious parallels between Maximilian's tomb and the monument that King Arthur is said to have erected to King Lot of Orkney and his allies, according to Arthurian romance.
The impact of such sumptuous 'gold' tombs resonates in the work of William Shakespeare and his contemporaries, as we see in the line 'Gilded tombs do worms enfold' (The Merchant of Venice, II, vii, 69). Conversely there are curious parallels between Maximilian's tomb and the monument that King Arthur is said to have erected to King Lot of Orkney and his allies, according to Arthurian romance.
Research Interests: Iconography, Death, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, Shakespeare, and 12 moreArthurian Studies, Habsburg Studies, History of Sculpture, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Medieval Art History, Metal Casting, and Copper
Britain has many surviving examples of ‘transi’ or cadaver tomb monuments and brasses, which range from so-called ‘double-decker’ tombs juxtaposing an effigy of the deceased ‘au vif ’ with a representation of the corpse below to single... more
Britain has many surviving examples of ‘transi’ or cadaver tomb monuments and brasses, which range from so-called ‘double-decker’ tombs juxtaposing an effigy of the deceased ‘au vif ’ with a representation of the corpse below to single cadaver effigies, skeletons, and shroud effigies. One variety that appears to be much rarer in Britain than elsewhere in northern Europe is the effigy infested with vermin, of which the brass of Ralph Hamsterley (d. 1518) at Oddington is the most obvious
example. However, appearances can be misleading and there is a risk of misinterpretation, partly due to a lack of understanding of regional differences in iconography. This paper aims to provide a wider cultural context to the cadaver effigy in Europe, including the ‘verminous’ variety, whilst discussing four English monuments at Lowthorpe, Oddington, Flamborough and Tewkesbury that have previously been claimed as examples of this particular type.
NOTE: this paper is also freely available for downloading as chapter 7 of my Leiden University doctoral thesis at https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/13873 .
example. However, appearances can be misleading and there is a risk of misinterpretation, partly due to a lack of understanding of regional differences in iconography. This paper aims to provide a wider cultural context to the cadaver effigy in Europe, including the ‘verminous’ variety, whilst discussing four English monuments at Lowthorpe, Oddington, Flamborough and Tewkesbury that have previously been claimed as examples of this particular type.
NOTE: this paper is also freely available for downloading as chapter 7 of my Leiden University doctoral thesis at https://openaccess.leidenuniv.nl/handle/1887/13873 .
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Death, Death Studies, and 15 moreHistory of Medicine, Medieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Medieval Drama, Portraiture, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Memoria, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
Death is the end of all things, or at least all things relating to this life, and thus also of the senses. According to medieval thinking, the advent of death greatly affected the senses of the dying and of those around them. Whereas some... more
Death is the end of all things, or at least all things relating to this life, and thus also of the senses. According to medieval thinking, the advent of death greatly affected the senses of the dying and of those around them. Whereas some blessed souls might die in a sweet aroma of sanctity, for ordinary mortals death was a more sordid affair: medieval artists, authors, playwrights and preachers pulled no punches when it came to picturing death and its aftermath as a warning the living. One popular theme within medieval death literature and imagery is the Danse Macabre or Dance of Death. Presentations of the Danse with its living and dead protagonists often revolve around the senses of the dying. Great play is made of the fact that ultimately we shall all see, hear, and smell the approach of Death – and then feel his chilling touch or the point of his dart. Instead of sensual pleasures that belong to life – and were often considered sinful – the Danse presents a perversion of the senses in that it turns these pleasures from delight into horror. In fact, the Danse itself is the ultimate perversion of dancing as an expression of joie de vivre.
Research Interests: Death, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, History of the Senses, Death & Dying (Thanatology), and 10 morePrinting History, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of the Senses, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, John Lydgate, The Senses, The Medieval Danse Macabre, Hans Holbein the Younger, and Ars Moriendi
The vanitas theme with skulls, hourglasses and other reminders of man’s mortality is ubiquitous in portraits from the 16th century on, and also in still-life painting from the early 17th century, especially in the Low Countries. In... more
The vanitas theme with skulls, hourglasses and other reminders of man’s mortality is ubiquitous in portraits from the 16th century on, and also in still-life painting from the early 17th century, especially in the Low Countries. In 'Vanitas Still Life with Skulls' of around 1640-62 by the Utrecht painter Aelbert Jansz van der Schoor we see six skulls, bones, an hourglass, wilting roses and a nearly extinguished candle beneath a shelf with books and sealed documents – symbols of learning and authority. Musical instruments, empty glasses, coins or pearls, and perhaps a globe or crucifix are also often included and embody the transience of life, learning, beauty, wealth and earthly pleasure. In shrill contrast to the wealth displayed in Dutch homes, these sombre reminders suited the moralising tendencies of patrons in the Golden Age.
Yet while mortality is represented by the skull, Death himself does not appear in vanitas paintings as he does in the Danse macabre – and in Dutch genre scenes of the period. Much has been written about Peter Paul Rubens’s copies of Hans Holbein’s 'Images of Death', but scant attention has been paid to Dutch re-interpretations of the Danse macabre in the Golden Age. Nonetheless, this popular motif inspired major artists such as Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, Jan Steen, Abraham Bloemaert, Judith Leyster and Adriaen van de Venne. In paintings, but especially in drawings and prints, they show Death arriving unexpectedly to summon the rich miser, the lovers and the merrymakers: archetypal sinners oblivious of their own death or the hereafter. With hourglasses, flowers and coins as added symbols, these scenes have much in common with the vanitas genre.
Yet while mortality is represented by the skull, Death himself does not appear in vanitas paintings as he does in the Danse macabre – and in Dutch genre scenes of the period. Much has been written about Peter Paul Rubens’s copies of Hans Holbein’s 'Images of Death', but scant attention has been paid to Dutch re-interpretations of the Danse macabre in the Golden Age. Nonetheless, this popular motif inspired major artists such as Rembrandt, Jan Lievens, Jan Steen, Abraham Bloemaert, Judith Leyster and Adriaen van de Venne. In paintings, but especially in drawings and prints, they show Death arriving unexpectedly to summon the rich miser, the lovers and the merrymakers: archetypal sinners oblivious of their own death or the hereafter. With hourglasses, flowers and coins as added symbols, these scenes have much in common with the vanitas genre.
Research Interests:
This article discusses quintessentially personal expressions of commemoration, viz. in painting and poetry, thereby offering a more nuanced notion of remembrance than is implied by the conventional narrow scholarly focus on funerary... more
This article discusses quintessentially personal expressions of commemoration, viz. in painting and poetry, thereby offering a more nuanced notion of remembrance than is implied by the conventional narrow scholarly focus on funerary monuments. It also addresses the work of the Dutch seventeenth-century female 'amateur' artist Gesina ter Borch whose work has been overshadowed by that of her more famous half-brother, the painter Gerard ter Borch.
Research Interests:
The historical background and character of the Dance of Death in medieval and renaissance Europe are discussed in this illustrated essay written for the exhibition catalogue 'Mengele Dance of Death. Jean Tinguely' published by the Museum... more
The historical background and character of the Dance of Death in medieval and renaissance Europe are discussed in this illustrated essay written for the exhibition catalogue 'Mengele Dance of Death. Jean Tinguely' published by the Museum Tinguely in Basel (2017, pp. 42-49) on the occasion of the Museum's new presentation of Jean Tinguely's 'Mengele-Totentanz' (1986). The catalogue and this essay are also available in French and German.
Research Interests:
The liveliest and most attractive animals serving as footrests on medieval tombs are probably dogs. They come in all varieties and may be seen lying under the feet of knights and priests or peeping out from under ladies’ skirts, looking... more
The liveliest and most attractive animals serving as footrests on medieval tombs are probably dogs. They come in all varieties and may be seen lying under the feet of knights and priests or peeping out from under ladies’ skirts, looking up at their master or mistress, sometimes even barking for attention.
Some of these animal footrests were evidently heraldic symbols, but that is not always what they represented. One might wonder whether these dogs represented the deceased person’s own pets. This idea is not as absurd as one might think, for personalized pet dogs do occur on medieval monuments, in particular beneath the feet of female effigies. However, as an emblem of fidelity dogs were also evidently considered an appropriate generic attribute for married women, just as male tomb effigies might be accompanied by a lion – the traditional symbol of strength.
Yet the first animals to serve as footrests on medieval tombs were not faithful dogs at all, but very different creatures of biblical origin, while their presence beneath the feet of the deceased had quite distinct connotations. In this short essay the author examines the lost origins of this popular motif and how its meaning appears to have changed over time.
Some of these animal footrests were evidently heraldic symbols, but that is not always what they represented. One might wonder whether these dogs represented the deceased person’s own pets. This idea is not as absurd as one might think, for personalized pet dogs do occur on medieval monuments, in particular beneath the feet of female effigies. However, as an emblem of fidelity dogs were also evidently considered an appropriate generic attribute for married women, just as male tomb effigies might be accompanied by a lion – the traditional symbol of strength.
Yet the first animals to serve as footrests on medieval tombs were not faithful dogs at all, but very different creatures of biblical origin, while their presence beneath the feet of the deceased had quite distinct connotations. In this short essay the author examines the lost origins of this popular motif and how its meaning appears to have changed over time.
Research Interests: Iconography, Death, Death Studies, Symbolism, Commemoration and Memory, and 13 moreSculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Animal Symbolism, Symbolism (Art History), Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Iconology, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Medieval Iconography, Iconography and Iconology, Archaeology of death and burial, and Monuments and Commemoration
Thomas Rowlandson's 'English Dance of Death' is quite rightly famous. However, not many people know the derivative, slightly later edition entitled 'The British Dance of Death', based on drawings by Benedictus Antonio Van Assen (born... more
Thomas Rowlandson's 'English Dance of Death' is quite rightly famous. However, not many people know the derivative, slightly later edition entitled 'The British Dance of Death', based on drawings by Benedictus Antonio Van Assen (born c.1767 – died c.1817). This later work was published in two editions between 1822 and 1823, i.e. after the artist's death. The text by an anonymous author is in prose (compared to William Coombe's verse text for Rowlandson's 'Dance'). The comparison throws in relief the values in Rowlandson's 'Dance' compared to the later interpretation.
Research Interests: Caricature (Visual Studies), Print Culture, Publishing, Death, Death Studies, and 17 moreBook History, Dark Tourism, Thanatology, Jane Austen, Printing History, Caricature (Art), Anthropology of Death, Thanatology - Death Studies, Books, Regency England, Satire, Cartoons, History of Graphic Design, Morality, Book Illustration, Dance of Death, and Thanatourism
A curious etching by the Dutch engraver Jan Luyken or his son Casper has wrongly attracted the interest of vampyrologists. It actually illustrates the emblematic story of the virtuous ‘Bianca Rubea’, better known as Bianca de’ Rossi or... more
A curious etching by the Dutch engraver Jan Luyken or his son Casper has wrongly attracted the interest of vampyrologists. It actually illustrates the emblematic story of the virtuous ‘Bianca
Rubea’, better known as Bianca de’ Rossi or Bianca da Bassano, who chose to commit suicide by crushing herself to death underneath her late husband’s tomb slab. Although the depicted scene is both anachronistic and implausible, it raises interesting questions about the custom of intramural
burial beneath church floors, about the (re)positioning of the slabs or ledgerstones covering these graves, and about the use of pictorial sources as historical evidence.
This article was published in the peer-reviewed journal Church Monuments, vol. 27 (2012). See www.churchmonumentssociety.org.
Rubea’, better known as Bianca de’ Rossi or Bianca da Bassano, who chose to commit suicide by crushing herself to death underneath her late husband’s tomb slab. Although the depicted scene is both anachronistic and implausible, it raises interesting questions about the custom of intramural
burial beneath church floors, about the (re)positioning of the slabs or ledgerstones covering these graves, and about the use of pictorial sources as historical evidence.
This article was published in the peer-reviewed journal Church Monuments, vol. 27 (2012). See www.churchmonumentssociety.org.
Research Interests: Death, Death Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Thanatology, Commemoration and Memory, and 12 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Thanatology - Death Studies, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Dutch History, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, Monuments, 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish Art, and 17th Dutch and Flemish Paintings and Prints
An intriguing etching by the Dutch engraver Jan Luyken (1649-1712) or his son Casper has attracted the interest of vampirologists - wrongly, as this article shows. The print actually illustrates the emblematic (if implausible) story of... more
An intriguing etching by the Dutch engraver Jan Luyken (1649-1712) or his son Casper has attracted the interest of vampirologists - wrongly, as this article shows. The print actually illustrates the emblematic (if implausible) story of the virtuous 'Bianca Rubea', better known as Bianca de' Rossi or Bianca da Bassano, who chose to commit suicide by crushing herself to death underneath her late husband's tomb slab. The story is told in Laurens Van Zanten's Treur-tooneel der doorluchtige vrouwen published in 1699. The scene depicted by Luyken raises interesting questions about the custom of intramural burial and the (re)positioning of the ledgerstones covering these graves.
Research Interests: Iconography, Print Culture, Death, Death Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), and 14 moreFunerary Archaeology, Vampire Literature, Funeral Practices, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Vampire Studies, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Vampires, Dutch History, Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Archaeology of death and burial, and Death, Grief, and Mourning
It is not difficult to counter the claim made by the French family historian Philippe Aries that deceased children were considered 'not worthy of remembrance' in the Middle Ages. Not only are there still many examples of monuments to... more
It is not difficult to counter the claim made by the French family historian Philippe Aries that deceased children were considered 'not worthy of remembrance' in the Middle Ages. Not only are there still many examples of monuments to children to be found across Europe (in addition to the 'weeper' or 'pleurant' figures of offspring on tombs) but children could also be commemorated in less 'visible' ways, e.g. with masses and prayers. The Middle English poem Pearl is also testimony to the deep feelings inspired by the loss of a young child.
However, recognising children's tombs is quite a different matter as appearances may be deceptive. Miniature effigies may not represent children at all, but instead commemorate heart or entrail burials. Artists also appear to have struggled to find the right way of depicting children, esp. as status often played a role in these memorials. Some monuments may not strike modern viewers as at all 'child-like' in either size or appearance, yet they were evidently meant to keep alive the memory of lost children and attract prayers for their souls.
However, recognising children's tombs is quite a different matter as appearances may be deceptive. Miniature effigies may not represent children at all, but instead commemorate heart or entrail burials. Artists also appear to have struggled to find the right way of depicting children, esp. as status often played a role in these memorials. Some monuments may not strike modern viewers as at all 'child-like' in either size or appearance, yet they were evidently meant to keep alive the memory of lost children and attract prayers for their souls.
Research Interests: Death, History of Childhood and Youth, Funerary Archaeology, Memory Studies, History of Childhood, and 12 moreFuneral Practices, Commemoration and Memory, Pearl Poet, Death and Burial (Archaeology), memoralization, Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Iconology, Childhood studies, Medieval Iconography, and Memoria
Few medieval Danse Macabre cycles can have been more ephemeral than that created in snow in the street of Arras in the severe winter of 1434-35. This particular group of snowmen - one of many such ensembles built by the citizens of this... more
Few medieval Danse Macabre cycles can have been more ephemeral than that created in snow in the street of Arras in the severe winter of 1434-35. This particular group of snowmen - one of many such ensembles built by the citizens of this city - may have been more than just a piece of folklore, and instead have carried a political message: an idea that is supported by the fact that the city was ruled by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy and Count of Artois, who concluded the Treaty of Arras in the autumn of 1435. The snowmen of Arras may thus provide another piece of evidence that strengthens the case for a proposed link between Philip and the creation of the famous Danse Macabre mural in Paris in 1424-25, which I have presented elsewhere.
Research Interests:
The Middle English poet-monk John Lydgate composed his 'Dance of Death' poem in 1426 while in Paris, basing it on the medieval Danse Macabre mural in Paris. As previously argued in my paper 'Of dead kings, dukes and constables', it was... more
The Middle English poet-monk John Lydgate composed his 'Dance of Death' poem in 1426 while in Paris, basing it on the medieval Danse Macabre mural in Paris. As previously argued in my paper 'Of dead kings, dukes and constables', it was the death in 1422 of the French king Charles VI that inspired the creation of this mural in English-occupied Paris. Likewise, it was the death of the English king Henry V earlier that same year that is alluded to in Lydgate's poem and that may have been the inspiration for the painted cycle at Old St Paul's Cathedral subsequently commissioned by Town Clerk John Carpenter. Henry V remained in the national consciousness the most admired English monarch, as is still evident in Shakespeare's plays nearly two centuries later.
This paper also demonstrates why it is most likely the superior A-version of Lydgate's poem that was used in this London scheme, as stated unambiguously in one contemporary manuscript copy; the B-version is almost certainly due to scribal variation once the commemorative aspect lost its poignancy.
This paper also demonstrates why it is most likely the superior A-version of Lydgate's poem that was used in this London scheme, as stated unambiguously in one contemporary manuscript copy; the B-version is almost certainly due to scribal variation once the commemorative aspect lost its poignancy.
Research Interests: Medieval Literature, Medieval French Literature, Shakespeare, Portraiture, Commemoration (Memory Studies), and 13 moreCommemoration and Memory, Medieval England, Medieval France, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Lydgate, Middle English literature and culture, 15th Century Burgundy, Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Medieval Iconography, King Henry V, Medieval Wall Paintings, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
"The starting point in most studies on the medieval Danse Macabre is the mural that was created in the cemetery of Les Saints Innocents in Paris in 1424-25. Yet scholars have previously paid little attention to the historical... more
"The starting point in most studies on the medieval Danse Macabre is the mural that was created in the cemetery of Les Saints Innocents in Paris in 1424-25. Yet scholars have previously paid little attention to the historical circumstances surrounding the creation of this scheme during the Anglo-Burgundian occupation of the French capital.
Especially the dual presentation of the king as both a victim of Death amidst the ranks of the living and as a worm-eaten corpse at the end of the scheme is intriguing in view of the deaths in quick succession of Henry V of England and Charles VI of France in 1422. Contemporaries in Paris and London (where John Lydgate's Middle English adaptation of the French poem was incorporated into another painted scheme at Old St Paul's Cathedral around 1430) could not help but be reminded of the fact that both their countries were without a crowned king at this time.
It is these topical references that help explain the quick rise to fame of what at first sight might seem just another medieval didactic lesson about mortality and sin. A case is presented for the deployment of 'cryptoportraits' in the imagery and a novel suggestion made as to the previously unidentified patron behind the Paris mural. "
Especially the dual presentation of the king as both a victim of Death amidst the ranks of the living and as a worm-eaten corpse at the end of the scheme is intriguing in view of the deaths in quick succession of Henry V of England and Charles VI of France in 1422. Contemporaries in Paris and London (where John Lydgate's Middle English adaptation of the French poem was incorporated into another painted scheme at Old St Paul's Cathedral around 1430) could not help but be reminded of the fact that both their countries were without a crowned king at this time.
It is these topical references that help explain the quick rise to fame of what at first sight might seem just another medieval didactic lesson about mortality and sin. A case is presented for the deployment of 'cryptoportraits' in the imagery and a novel suggestion made as to the previously unidentified patron behind the Paris mural. "
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval French Literature, and 15 moreMedieval Studies, History and Memory, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Medieval Portraiture, Memory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Medieval France, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Burgundian history, Medieval Iconography, Burgundian Court, Medieval Danse Macabre, The Medieval Danse Macabre, and Monuments and Commemoration
The origins of the Danse Macabre, or Dance of Death, are still obscure, but the popularity of this theme in the late Middle Ages and beyond is undeniable. From the first half of the fifteenth century it spread rapidly through European... more
The origins of the Danse Macabre, or Dance of Death, are still obscure, but the popularity of this theme in the late Middle Ages and beyond is undeniable. From the first half of the fifteenth century it spread rapidly through European art, literature and drama. This paper offers a comprehensive overview of the character, emergence and development of this motif.
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval Literature, Death Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Medieval Studies, and 14 moreRenaissance Studies, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Manuscript Studies, Medieval Archaeology, Illumination (Manuscripts, Books), Renaissance literature, Medieval Art, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Medieval illuminated manuscripts, John Lydgate, Medieval Wall Paintings, Mortality studies, Dance of Death, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
Shakespeare's fools have a long history: while some (like Hamlet) use madness as a cloak to hide their designs, other 'true fools' could speak often brutal truths with impunity. The fool may be foolish or possess natural wisdom and... more
Shakespeare's fools have a long history: while some (like Hamlet) use madness as a cloak to hide their designs, other 'true fools' could speak often brutal truths with impunity. The fool may be foolish or possess natural wisdom and truth.
Death in the Danse Macabre has much in common with the fool. He can caper about like a madman and yet hold out a mirror to everyone as he confronts them with their true nature, without showing any respect for wealth or status. Death is sometimes presented as the fool's alter ego: Hans Holbein the Younger juxtaposed the two in one of his 'Images of Death' woodcut designs.
The fool was not included in the mural that was created in Paris in 1424-25, but he was to become a regular character, perhaps through the influence of the German carnival tradition and such works as Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff (Ship of Fools) of 1494. Perhaps Shakespeare's melancholic Jaques had in mind both this satire and the Danse Macabre in his final farewell to the fool Touchstone and assembled company in As You Like It:
And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage
is but for two months victualled. So to your pleasures;
I am for other than for dancing measures.
Death in the Danse Macabre has much in common with the fool. He can caper about like a madman and yet hold out a mirror to everyone as he confronts them with their true nature, without showing any respect for wealth or status. Death is sometimes presented as the fool's alter ego: Hans Holbein the Younger juxtaposed the two in one of his 'Images of Death' woodcut designs.
The fool was not included in the mural that was created in Paris in 1424-25, but he was to become a regular character, perhaps through the influence of the German carnival tradition and such works as Sebastian Brant's Narrenschiff (Ship of Fools) of 1494. Perhaps Shakespeare's melancholic Jaques had in mind both this satire and the Danse Macabre in his final farewell to the fool Touchstone and assembled company in As You Like It:
And you to wrangling; for thy loving voyage
is but for two months victualled. So to your pleasures;
I am for other than for dancing measures.
Research Interests: Iconography, Death, Death Studies, Medieval German Literature, Medieval French Literature, and 15 moreManuscripts and Early Printed Books, Shakespeare, Rare Books and Manuscripts, Medieval English Literature, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Manuscript Studies, Commemoration (Memory Studies), Commemoration and Memory, The Carnivalesque, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Early Modern print culture, Medieval Wall Paintings, The Holy Fool, and Medieval Danse Macabre
Rembrandt's 1639 etching of 'The Lovers and Death' is one in a long line of illustrations on the theme of youth encountering death. Earlier examples can be found in the medieval Danse Macabre tradition, which in turn had their roots in... more
Rembrandt's 1639 etching of 'The Lovers and Death' is one in a long line of illustrations on the theme of youth encountering death. Earlier examples can be found in the medieval Danse Macabre tradition, which in turn had their roots in depictions of Adolescentia in the Ages of Man. The idea is that youth is too focussed on love (or lust) and vain pleasures to heed the possibility of an early death. Either singly or in pairs, young men and maidens are greeted by the grim spectacle of a putrefying corpse that embodies what they themselves must become when death robs them of their youthful bloom. Yet the moralising nature of earlier texts and depictions makes way for more titillating interpretations in Renaissance art, whether it is Death preying upon couples or on hapless nubile women.
Research Interests: Iconography, Death Studies, Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Medieval Studies, Renaissance Studies, and 20 moreSexuality and chivalry/courtly love, Renaissance Art, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Manuscript Studies, History of Childhood and Youth, Typography, History Of Sexuality (Sexuality And Chivalry Courtly Love), Printing History, Medieval Culture, Medieval Art, Visual Arts, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Rembrandt, Visual Analysis, Medieval Iconography, Art Theory and Criticism, Semiotic Analysis, Danse Macabre, The Medieval Danse Macabre, and Graphic Arts & Design
Medieval society is popularly believed to have been obsessed with death: the motto 'memento mori' (remember that you must die) is used to characterise the period, whereas the Renaissance is summed up by Horace’s aphorism 'carpe diem'... more
Medieval society is popularly believed to have been obsessed with death: the motto 'memento mori' (remember that you must die) is used to characterise the period, whereas the Renaissance is summed up by Horace’s aphorism 'carpe diem' (seize the day). The two labels are essentially two sides of the same coin, but the first suggests a morbid state of mind with an unhealthy focus on mortality whereas the second seems much more positive and indicative of a change in mentality. This article addresses the question whether this popular view is an accurate reflection of late-medieval mentality, using the Danse Macabre as a case study. Particular attention is paid to the national trauma that gripped the kingdoms of England and France in the wake of the deaths of Henry V and Charles VI in 1422 - barely two years before the first monumental Danse Macabre mural was begun in the heart of English-occupied Paris.
Research Interests:
Our survey of precious-metal effigial tombs (esp. copper alloy or 'bronze' and silver) from medieval Europe between 1080 and 1430 revealed nearly 120 extant and lost examples. There is no doubt that there were once many more, but it the... more
Our survey of precious-metal effigial tombs (esp. copper alloy or 'bronze' and silver) from medieval Europe between 1080 and 1430 revealed nearly 120 extant and lost examples. There is no doubt that there were once many more, but it the evidence for these may well lie hidden or unrecognised in antiquarian records. Several examples have already come to light since the publication of our article in the journal Church Monuments 30 (2015), pp. 7-105, but the search continues. This is a brief preview of what may in due course become the sequel to our earlier inventory - with a little help from other scholars?
Research Interests: Archaeology, Art History, Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, and 12 moreMetallurgy, Thanatology, Medieval Archaeology, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Antiquarianism, Metallurgy (Medieval Studies), Medieval Brittany, Tombs (Medieval Studies), and Copper
The aim of this joint project is to offer a survey of extant and lost medieval effigial tomb monuments made of different types of metal, ranging from copper alloy (often termed ‘bronze’) to silver and silver gilt. The findings already... more
The aim of this joint project is to offer a survey of extant and lost medieval effigial tomb monuments made of different types of metal, ranging from copper alloy (often termed ‘bronze’) to silver and silver gilt. The findings already change the way we will henceforth view these tombs: for example, the survival of predominantly royal cast copper-alloy tombs in England has previously been misinterpreted as their being a ‘royal predilection’, whereas nearly twice that number were commissioned by patrons among the nobility and higher clergy. The project is a continuation of the authors' earlier work, including the joint article ‘The tomb monument of Katherine, daughter of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence (1253-7)’ published in The Antiquaries Journal, 92 (2012), pp. 169-196.
Our initial survey has now been published in the peer-reviewed journal Church Monuments 30 (2015), pp. 7-105. A second article entitled ‘Copper-alloy tombs in medieval Europe: image, identity and reception’, has been accepted for publication in Jean Plumier and Nicolas Thomas (eds), Medieval copper, bronze and brass, Proceedings of the 2014 Dinant/Namur conference (Turnhout: Brepols, forthcoming).
However, an inventory such as this is never finished so we welcome all new information about examples discussed in our 2015 paper or about new discoveries not yet included there. The work simply continues and may in due course result in a second article, while there is also the possibility of continuing the research into the later fifteenth century to include such examples as the extant monument to Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick (d. 1439), or the output of the famous Vischer workshop in Nuremberg.
Our initial survey has now been published in the peer-reviewed journal Church Monuments 30 (2015), pp. 7-105. A second article entitled ‘Copper-alloy tombs in medieval Europe: image, identity and reception’, has been accepted for publication in Jean Plumier and Nicolas Thomas (eds), Medieval copper, bronze and brass, Proceedings of the 2014 Dinant/Namur conference (Turnhout: Brepols, forthcoming).
However, an inventory such as this is never finished so we welcome all new information about examples discussed in our 2015 paper or about new discoveries not yet included there. The work simply continues and may in due course result in a second article, while there is also the possibility of continuing the research into the later fifteenth century to include such examples as the extant monument to Richard Beauchamp, earl of Warwick (d. 1439), or the output of the famous Vischer workshop in Nuremberg.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Material Culture Studies, Medieval Studies, Medieval Archaeology, History of Sculpture, and 17 moreMemory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Materiality of Art, Church Archaeology, Antiquarianism, Metallurgy (Medieval Studies), Christian Iconography, Memory and materiality, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Art History, Materiality, Archaeology of death and burial, Monuments, and Self Representation
A pair of incised effigial slabs dating from the first quarter of the sixteenth century in the parish church of Oudelande in the coastal province of Zeeland (Netherlands) depict a husband and wife, each in their own coffin. While the wife... more
A pair of incised effigial slabs dating from the first quarter of the sixteenth century in the parish church of Oudelande in the coastal province of Zeeland (Netherlands) depict a husband and wife, each in their own coffin. While the wife appears to be wrapped in a very elegant sleeved shroud the husband seems to wear male civilian dress, at least at first sight: comparisons with shroud memorials elsewhere suggest that the Oudelande couple may both be presented in sleeved shrouds. Of particular interest is a cluster of late-medieval shroud slabs of different styles in nearby Kapelle. Other comparable examples can be found elsewhere in the Netherlands, all of them Flemish imports. Analysis of these shroud memorials is used here to address still commonly held assumptions and misconceptions about the appearance, definition and meaning of so-called transi or cadaver effigies.
Research Interests: Medieval Dress, Death, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), and 13 moreThanatology, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, 16th Century Netherlandish Art, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Medieval Iconography, and Burial Customs
The personified figure of Death occurs frequently on tomb monuments from the fifteenth century onwards: a famous late example is Louis-François Roubiliac’s dramatic monument at Westminster Abbey, which shows Lady Elizabeth Nightingale (d.... more
The personified figure of Death occurs frequently on tomb monuments from the fifteenth century onwards: a famous late example is Louis-François Roubiliac’s dramatic monument at Westminster Abbey, which shows Lady Elizabeth Nightingale (d. 1731) being assailed by Death. This aggressive personification of Death is very different from the recumbent cadaver figures found on transi tombs from the late fourteenth century on, although both types may engage in a dialogue with the living. In some cases, the image of Death confronting and even attacking the living was directly inspired by the danse macabre, in which metaphors about dialogue, dance and violence are curiously mixed. Evidence from commemorative art thus helps us reassess the importance of this medieval theme even after the Reformation. This essay furthermore aims to show how prints may
have influenced tomb design and how patrons chose not only tomb monuments to be remembered by, but also other forms of memorial.
have influenced tomb design and how patrons chose not only tomb monuments to be remembered by, but also other forms of memorial.
Research Interests: Medieval Literature, Death, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Commemoration and Memory, and 10 moreSculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Iconography, The Medieval Danse Macabre, and Renaissance Sculpture
This paper discusses the influence of the Danse Macabre (or Dance of Death) on the Chester mystery cycle, in particular in the Massacre and Last Judgement plays. The textual allusions, esp. the mocking words of the second soldier to one... more
This paper discusses the influence of the Danse Macabre (or Dance of Death) on the Chester mystery cycle, in particular in the Massacre and Last Judgement plays. The textual allusions, esp. the mocking words of the second soldier to one of the Bethlehem mothers, are compared to the visual evidence of contemporary imagery in painting, manuscript illumination, stained glass and prints.
Research Interests: Semiotics, English Literature, Middle English, Gesture, Medieval Drama, and 12 moreMedieval Cycle Drama, Medieval semiotics, Early Modern English drama, Christian Iconography, Middle English literature and culture, Emotions, Medieval Iconography, Mystery Plays, Dance of Death, Medieval English Drama, The Medieval Danse Macabre, and Early Modern English Literature and Drama
It is often assumed that children do not really occur in medieval art. The problem for researchers is not so much one of finding representations of childhood, but of recognising them. Medieval art has its own conventions and if we... more
It is often assumed that children do not really occur in medieval art. The problem for researchers is not so much one of finding representations of childhood, but of recognising them. Medieval art has its own conventions and if we approach it with a present-minded attitude we are indeed likely to find only ‘miniature adults’ at best. This easily leads to a conclusion that medieval society neither knew nor understood the concept of childhood. Yet size and proportion can be deceptive: medieval art does not necessarily meet modern standards of naturalism and a small figure need not represent a child. This chapter considers representations of children in medieval art, including memorials and monuments, placing these images in their artistic, iconological and theological contexts.
Research Interests: Archaeology, Iconography, Death Studies, Social Representations, Medieval Archaeology, and 13 morePortraiture, Commemoration (Memory Studies), Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Childhood studies, Medieval Iconography, Iconography and Iconology, Archaeology of death and burial, Monuments, and Memoria
The infant is a recurring character in the Danse Macabre - perhaps not surprising if one considers the high infant mortality rates in the past. Yet the infant differs from the other characters in the Danse by not being a stereotypical... more
The infant is a recurring character in the Danse Macabre - perhaps not surprising if one considers the high infant mortality rates in the past. Yet the infant differs from the other characters in the Danse by not being a stereotypical social representative with his own characteristic foibles, like the gluttonous abbot or the vainglorious knight. Instead the infant is presented with true pathos, a helpless early victim whom Death treats almost kindly. Interesting are also the regional variations in the way the infant is presented, from a creature who cannot talk to one who cannot walk yet, which is very much in line with the presentation of the child in the Ages of Man.
Research Interests: Iconography, Art History, Medieval Literature, Death Studies, Death (Anthropology), and 27 moreManuscripts and Early Printed Books, Medieval Studies, Gesture, Medieval English Literature, Death & Dying (Thanatology), History of Childhood and Youth, Medieval Archaeology, Archaeology of Childhood, Portraiture, Memory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Lydgate, John Lydgate, Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Childhood, Medieval Iconography, Tomb Monuments, Medieval Wall Paintings, Medieval Visual Culture, Dance of Death, History of childhood and youth; history of emotions, The Medieval Danse Macabre, Medieval Sculpture and Iconography, and Childhood History
Medieval tomb monuments can be difficult to read for modern viewers, and especially the depiction of children, but perhaps this was equally true for contemporary audiences and even artists. This paper examines an iconographic feature that... more
Medieval tomb monuments can be difficult to read for modern viewers, and especially the depiction of children, but perhaps this was equally true for contemporary audiences and even artists. This paper examines an iconographic feature that may or may not have had a special meaning, viz. the pedestal on bracket that was particularly used for children on medieval monuments in England. However, was it intended to denote children or to achieve visual balance between figures or was it just a decorative flourish?
Research Interests: Iconography, Death Studies, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, History of Childhood and Youth, Commemoration and Memory, and 9 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, and Tomb Monuments
An English princess of the mid-thirteenth century, dead by the age of three and a half, Katherine occupies only a footnote in the history of England. Yet the costly tomb monument at Westminster Abbey provided by her grieving father, Henry... more
An English princess of the mid-thirteenth century, dead by the age of three and a half, Katherine occupies only a footnote in the history of England. Yet the costly tomb monument at Westminster Abbey provided by her grieving father, Henry III, was probably the earliest recorded memorial to a child known to have been set up in England. It may also have been part of Henry’s response to the
commemoration programme that his brother-in-law, Louis IX of France, had instigated. Nothing now apparently remains of Katherine’s tomb to remind posterity of her brief existence, but its commissioning marked a step up in Henry’s growing ambition to be seen as an innovator at the forefront of the artistic developments of his age, and the story surrounding its provision affords insights into the role of display and material culture in Henrician politics.
commemoration programme that his brother-in-law, Louis IX of France, had instigated. Nothing now apparently remains of Katherine’s tomb to remind posterity of her brief existence, but its commissioning marked a step up in Henry’s growing ambition to be seen as an innovator at the forefront of the artistic developments of his age, and the story surrounding its provision affords insights into the role of display and material culture in Henrician politics.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), History Of Emotions, and 16 moreHistory of Childhood and Youth, Funerary Archaeology, History of Childhood, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Medieval Children and Childood, Materiality of Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Metallurgy (Medieval Studies), Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Henry III of England (1216-1272), Materiality, Monuments, and Memoria
The term 'chrysom' (or 'chrisom') is often used to describe effigies or subsidiary 'weeper' figures of swaddled babies on medieval and Renaissance tomb monuments, including brasses and incised slabs. However, the exact meaning of this... more
The term 'chrysom' (or 'chrisom') is often used to describe effigies or subsidiary 'weeper' figures of swaddled babies on medieval and Renaissance tomb monuments, including brasses and incised slabs. However, the exact meaning of this word is often misunderstood and yet has seldom been queried. Moreover, there is the questionable assumption that these 'chrysom' figures represent babies who died before their mothers' churching and who were therefore buried in their baptismal clothes. This paper addresses the occurrence and meaning of this type of memorial to children who died in early infancy and who were remembered in the way that best befitted their stage in life - in their swaddling clothes.
Research Interests: Iconography, Early Modern History, Death, History of Childhood and Youth, Funerary Archaeology, and 13 moreMemory Studies, Commemoration (Memory Studies), History of Childhood, Funeral Practices, Commemoration and Memory, Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Childhood, Medieval Iconography, and Tombs
This wide-ranging paper takes a close look at the commemoration of deceased children in the Middle Ages, not just through tomb monuments but also in other forms. It addresses the misconceptions about 'miniature adults' on medieval... more
This wide-ranging paper takes a close look at the commemoration of deceased children in the Middle Ages, not just through tomb monuments but also in other forms. It addresses the misconceptions about 'miniature adults' on medieval monuments and emphasises the the need to distinguish between 'offspring' and 'children'. It also looks at the theological ideas that may underlie the divergence between real and presented age of children on tombs, esp. the notion of the 'perfect age in heaven' and the medieval ideal of maidenhood. Reference is made to contemporary literature, such as the Middle French 'Conte de Floire et Blancheflor' and the Middle English poem 'Pearl'.
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, History of Childhood and Youth, and 14 moreFunerary Archaeology, Sculpture, Pearl Poet, Death and Burial (Archaeology), History of Religion (Medieval Studies), Anthropology of Death, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Bodily Resurrection, Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Pearl, Medieval Iconography, and Archaeology of death and burial
A small and rather worn brass in Sheriff Hutton commemorates twins John and Dorothy Fiennes, who both died in 1491. Their depiction as swaddled 'chrysoms' shows that they died in early infancy. The Latin inscription refers to the... more
A small and rather worn brass in Sheriff Hutton commemorates twins John and Dorothy Fiennes, who both died in 1491. Their depiction as swaddled 'chrysoms' shows that they died in early infancy. The Latin inscription refers to the children's blessed state in heaven. The fact that they probably were their parents' first offspring makes this small memorial even more poignant. Although swaddled children had started to appear on monuments before this date, the Sheriff Hutton brass is among the earliest memorials solely to chrysoms.
Research Interests: Iconography, Death Studies, History Of Emotions, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, History of Childhood and Youth, and 11 moreFunerary Archaeology, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, and Memoria
In the Middle Ages, the most important relics were those relating to Christ, but his Ascension meant there was no body to revere on earth. However, there were other types of relics, viz. objects believed to have been in closest contact... more
In the Middle Ages, the most important relics were those relating to Christ, but his Ascension meant there was no body to revere on earth. However, there were other types of relics, viz. objects believed to have been in closest contact with Christ, especially when they related to the Passion, e.g. drops of his blood or the Crown of Thorns. However, there were also other popular relics connected with Chist's infancy, such as his swaddling clothes. Although more than one church claimed to possess this relic, perhaps the most fascinating example is that of Joseph's hose which are preserved in the cathedral treasury at Aachen (or Aix-la-Chapelle), Germany; ritually displayed once every seven years, this relic will be one of the objects of pilgrimage to be displayed again in 2014. This article was written on the occasion of the pilgrimage in 2000.
Research Interests: Material Culture Studies, Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage Routes, History of Childhood and Youth, Archaeology of Childhood, and 9 moreHistory of Religion (Medieval Studies), Relics (Religion), Folk Religion, Childhood studies, Medieval Textiles, Medieval Iconography, Relics and Relic Veneration, Medieval Textiles and Clothing, and Mediaeval Cult of Relics and Saints
This paper discusses the popularity of the violent story of the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem and the mothers's emotional responses in medieval art, literature, liturgical and vernacular drama. It explains the biblical and... more
This paper discusses the popularity of the violent story of the Massacre of the Innocents in Bethlehem and the mothers's emotional responses in medieval art, literature, liturgical and vernacular drama. It explains the biblical and liturgical background of the story and the iconography, including the ways in which Herod's soldiers were supposed to have killed the children. The particular focus is on the attitudes of the mothers: their evident grief, but also their desperate - and even aggressive - attempts to protect their children. This particular motif is more widespread than previously thought and shows how artists and playwrights expected their audiences to empathise with the bereft mothers, thereby enabling viewers to experience catharsis through this brutal tale of infanticide.
Research Interests: Semiotics, Emotion, Iconography, Gesture Studies, Family studies, and 22 moreMedieval Studies, Gesture, Children and Families, Word and Image Studies, History Of Emotions, Drama, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, Manuscript Studies, History of Childhood and Youth, Medieval Drama, History of Childhood, Medieval Cycle Drama, Christian Iconography, Middle English literature and culture, Infancy, Medieval Art History, Medieval Iconography, Medieval Liturgy, Medieval Wall Paintings, Medieval English Drama, History of Emotions, and Medieval Motherhood
This paper discusses the ambiguous meaning of the word 'mop' as used by the shepherds in the Towneley First and Second Shepherds' Plays. This word may be used affectionately to mean 'moppet' (baby) but also describe a doll, and thus... more
This paper discusses the ambiguous meaning of the word 'mop' as used by the shepherds in the Towneley First and Second Shepherds' Plays. This word may be used affectionately to mean 'moppet' (baby) but also describe a doll, and thus actually be wordplay on the use of a dummy to represent the Christ child on such occasions. It also highlights the deceit practised by Mak and his wife in the Second Shepherds' Play where a stolen sheep is disguised as a newborn baby.
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This illustrated article examines sixty figurative architectural carvings and fragments dating from the early fourteenth century along the aisle walls of the nave in York Minster. The subjects of these sculptures fall into six categories,... more
This illustrated article examines sixty figurative architectural carvings and fragments dating from the early fourteenth century along the aisle walls of the nave in York Minster. The subjects of these sculptures fall into six categories, viz. animals, fabulous beasts, composite creatures, human figures, devil v. human scenes, and narrative scenes. Among the latter are craftsmen at work and examples of the popular theme of the Battle of the Sexes, including the misogynistic tale of Aristotle and Phyllis. Of particular interest is the folklore motif of the Clever Daughter that is also found on a medieval capital elsewhere in York Minster and on a misericord in Worcester Cathedral. Comparisons are also drawn with medieval manuscript illumination.
Research Interests: Mythology And Folklore, Folklore, Iconography, Medieval Studies, Medieval Architecture, and 11 moreMedieval Art, Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Christian Iconography, Cathedrals (Medieval Studies), Iconology, Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Medieval Bestiary, Medieval Iconography, Iconography and Iconology, Marginalia, and Medieval Misogyny
Alabaster has many proverbial qualities, as evident in Shakespeare's 'smooth as monumental alabaster' (Othello, V, ii). Tomb monuments are a prominent feature in Kim Woods’ new monograph 'Cut in Alabaster' (2018) on the uses of this... more
Alabaster has many proverbial qualities, as evident in Shakespeare's 'smooth as monumental alabaster' (Othello, V, ii). Tomb monuments are a prominent feature in Kim Woods’ new monograph 'Cut in Alabaster' (2018) on the uses of this translucent material in the period 1350 to 1550. Yet the scope of this book is much wider, both thematically and geographically. With the increased interest in materiality, this is a welcome – and impressive – addition to the literature on medieval sculpture and on alabaster in particular.
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, History of Sculpture, Sculpture, and 12 moreMedieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Tomb Sculpture, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Materiality, Artisan Workshop practice in the Early Modern period, The Use of Marble and Other Stones, Stone carving and lapidary techniques, Sculptural polychromy, Medieval Sculpture, and Alabaster Sculpture
Translating books can be tricky - and the same is true of reviewing books. In 2015 I published a review of the book 'Figure & Lettering: Sepulchral Sculpture of the Jagiellonian Period in Bohemia' by Jan Chlibec and Jiri Rohacek. The book... more
Translating books can be tricky - and the same is true of reviewing books. In 2015 I published a review of the book 'Figure & Lettering: Sepulchral Sculpture of the Jagiellonian Period in Bohemia' by Jan Chlibec and Jiri Rohacek. The book had originally been published in Czech, but was then followed up by German and English translations: I reviewed the latter and praised the authors' scholarship and the admirable intention of making their material available to a wider international readership. However, I included constructive criticism about some weaknesses in their presentation and this infuriated the authors, who have complained publicly about my 'inaccurecies [sic] and confused informations [sic]'. Their objections - evidently based on cultural differences and linguistic weakness - and my response can be found at http://www.umeni-art.cz/en/article.aspx?v=news-article-2783. It is regrettable that so much can get lost in translation, including the opportunities for greater collaboration and better communication.
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Research Interests: Medieval Literature, Death Studies, Middle English, Medieval Studies, Manuscript Studies, and 10 moreAnthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Thanatology - Death Studies, Lydgate, Manuscripts (Medieval Studies), Medieval illuminated manuscripts, Middle English literature and culture, Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Medieval Iconography, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
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Research Interests: Medieval Literature, Death, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), and 9 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Christian Iconography, Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, Medieval Wall Paintings, Dance of Death, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
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Research Interests:
We tend to walk all over them in churches without paying much attention, yet the inscribed stone slabs beneath our feet are an important part of our (art-)historical heritage. Many historic churches in the Netherlands are still paved with... more
We tend to walk all over them in churches without paying much attention, yet the inscribed stone slabs beneath our feet are an important part of our (art-)historical heritage. Many historic churches in the Netherlands are still paved with these commemorative stones from the time when intramural burial was customary. We can see the evidence of this in the painted church interiors by such Dutch seventeenth-century artists as Pieter Saenredam, Gerard Houckgeest and Emanuel de Witte, which sometimes show a grave-digger actually at work in an open grave within the church floor, a wheelbarrow with sand standing nearby.
Tomb monuments can teach us much about the ways in which people in the past dealt with death, with the deceased themselves, and with the commemoration of the dead. The Dutch province of Zeeland still has a wealth of medieval memorials. Particularly impressive are the slabs featuring incised representations of the deceased, of which the church of St Martin in the medieval town of Sint-Maartensdijk boasts some fine examples. This church also houses another rare survival, viz. the remains of a late-medieval noble tomb monument with finely sculpted effigies. Yet over time all these memorials have suffered damage in various ways.
Tomb monuments can teach us much about the ways in which people in the past dealt with death, with the deceased themselves, and with the commemoration of the dead. The Dutch province of Zeeland still has a wealth of medieval memorials. Particularly impressive are the slabs featuring incised representations of the deceased, of which the church of St Martin in the medieval town of Sint-Maartensdijk boasts some fine examples. This church also houses another rare survival, viz. the remains of a late-medieval noble tomb monument with finely sculpted effigies. Yet over time all these memorials have suffered damage in various ways.
Research Interests: Gender Studies, Iconography, Medieval History, Medieval Dress, Death, and 33 moreDeath Studies, Cultural Heritage, Medieval Studies, Reformation Studies, Iconoclasm, Death & Dying (Thanatology), History of Costume, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Heritage Conservation, Thanatology, Medieval Church History, Medieval Archaeology, Memory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Costume (Art History), Burial Practices (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Antiquarianism, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Dutch History, Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, Burial Customs, Memoria, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, and Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Monuments
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The incised slab of Adriaen Cornelis Clayssenzoon is an interesting example of a Dutch pre-Reformation tomb monument with an engraved image not of the deceased himself, but of his name saint. An antiquarian drawing of a similar slab in... more
The incised slab of Adriaen Cornelis Clayssenzoon is an interesting example of a Dutch pre-Reformation tomb monument with an engraved image not of the deceased himself, but of his name saint. An antiquarian drawing of a similar slab in another part of Zeeland shows that this iconography was not unusual.
Research Interests: Medieval History, Death, Death Studies, Saints' Cults, Commemoration and Memory, and 9 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Medieval Iconography, Archaeology of death and burial, Medieval Sculpture, and Medieval Sculpture and Iconography
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Research Interests:
Essays published to date discuss the controversial ‘Stanley boy’ monument at Elford, Staffordshire (Feb. 2010); the cadaver monument of Guillaume de Harcigny (d. 1393) at Laon, France (Oct. 2010); the floor slab of Joost Corneliszoon van... more
Essays published to date discuss the controversial ‘Stanley boy’ monument at Elford, Staffordshire (Feb. 2010); the cadaver monument of Guillaume de Harcigny (d. 1393) at Laon, France (Oct. 2010); the floor slab of Joost Corneliszoon van Lodensteyn (d. 1660) in the Oude Kerk (Old Church) in Delft, Netherlands (Oct. 2011); the floor slab of Cornelis Pietersze (d. 1532) and his wife Jozijne van Domburch (d. 1557) in Sint Maartensdijk, Netherlands (Nov. 2012, with Kees Knulst); the cenotaph of Lieutenant-Admiral Jacob van Wassenaer Obdam (d. 1665) by Bartholomeus Eggers in The Hague, Netherlands (Dec. 2012); the floor slab of Jacopmine Huyghendochter, wife of Foert Christiaenszoon (d. 1553), in Wemeldinge, Netherlands (July 2013); the tomb of Catharine of Bourbon (d. 1469) in Nijmegen, Netherlands (March 2014, with Trudi Brink); the dubious effigy of Lady Constantia in Scarcliffe, Derbyshire (May 2014, with Sally Badham); and an unknown heart effigy at Coberley, Gloucestershire (Feb. 2015).
Research Interests: Iconography, Death, Death Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Heritage Conservation, and 13 moreMemory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Materiality (Anthropology), Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Church Archaeology, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Archaeology of death and burial, Death, Grief, and Mourning, Memoria, and Memory and Commemorations
Bibliographical survey of the Dance of Death, with brief explanatory texts and bibliographical entries per section
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This illustrated web article discussed the iconography of a Holy Kinship painting of c.1470 by an anonymous Westphalian artist, now in the Treasury of St Servatius Cathedral in Maastricht. An interesting topical detail is the inclusion of... more
This illustrated web article discussed the iconography of a Holy Kinship painting of c.1470 by an anonymous Westphalian artist, now in the Treasury of St Servatius Cathedral in Maastricht. An interesting topical detail is the inclusion of St Servatius himself as an infant member of the Holy Kinship. Of interest is also the depiction of children at play with a variety of toys. The article furthermore discusses the legend of the Virgin Mary's mother (St Anne) and her three husbands.
Research Interests: Iconography, Hagiography, Medieval Studies, Anthropology of Children and Childhood, Saints' Cults, and 9 moreHistory of Childhood and Youth, Medieval Art, Christian Iconography, Mariology, Religious art, Early Netherlandish Painting, Late Medieval Religion, Monasticism and Devotion, Fifteenth and Sixteenth century culture, and Medieval panel painting
This paper challenges the common assumption that the medieval child did not exist or that it was depicted, regarded and treated as a 'miniature adult'.
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This article provides an overview of medieval burial and monuments in the Dutch coastal province of Zeeland. The church of the small town of Sint Maartensdijk serves as a case study. It holds a wide range of medieval monuments, including... more
This article provides an overview of medieval burial and monuments in the Dutch coastal province of Zeeland. The church of the small town of Sint Maartensdijk serves as a case study. It holds a wide range of medieval monuments, including the remains of the double tomb of the parents of Frank van Borssele (fourth husband of Jacqueline, Countess of Holland), effigial slabs, and indents of (lost) brasses).
Research Interests: Death, Death Studies, Death (Anthropology), Epigraphy (Archaeology), Death & Dying (Thanatology), and 15 moreFunerary Archaeology, Memory Studies, Commemoration and Memory, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Anthropology of Death, Burial Practices (Archaeology), Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Medieval Iconography, Epigraphy, Archaeology of death and burial, Funeral Monuments, and Culture and death
The MeMO project offers researchers a wonderful research tool with this English-language, illustrated database that comprises Dutch memoria texts (with English translations), tomb monuments and other pre-Reformation memorial pieces... more
The MeMO project offers researchers a wonderful research tool with this English-language, illustrated database that comprises Dutch memoria texts (with English translations), tomb monuments and other pre-Reformation memorial pieces (painted, sculpted, stained glass) up to c.1580. The bilingual web article 'The floor slabs of Oudewater' serves as a case study of the monuments in the parish church of the historic Dutch town of Oudewater. See also the other MeMO products on the website, such as the digital MMR (Medieval Memoria Research) Newsletter with events, announcements, new publications, book reviews, etc.
Research Interests: Family studies, Genealogy, Death, Death Studies, History and Memory, and 27 moreDeath & Dying (Thanatology), History of The Netherlands, Memory Studies, Commemoration (Memory Studies), Funeral Practices, Commemoration and Memory, 16th Century Netherlandish Art, Death and Burial (Archaeology), History of Religion (Medieval Studies), Anthropology of Death, memoralization, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Dutch History, Funeral Archaeology, Medieval Liturgy, Monuments, Memoria, Funeral Monuments, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, Conservation and Restoration of Historic Buildings and Monuments, Funeral Rites, Archaeology of the Funeral Ritual, The Sociology of Death, Dying and Funerals, and Monuments and Commemoration
The paintings collection in Leamington Spa Art Gallery contains many Dutch and Flemish paintings from the sixteenth and seventeenth century of varying quality, incl. later copies. Of particular interest is a workshop copy of an intriguing... more
The paintings collection in Leamington Spa Art Gallery contains many Dutch and Flemish paintings from the sixteenth and seventeenth century of varying quality, incl. later copies. Of particular interest is a workshop copy of an intriguing early work by Jan de Bray, which may once have had a pendant that could explain the message that the two children in this picture are meant to convey.
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The winter of 1607-08 was a particularly cold one in Europe. Hendrick Avercamp was one of the first Dutch painters to specialise in snow scenes and his 1608 oil painting 'Winter Landscape with Skaters' depicts townsfolk skating, playing... more
The winter of 1607-08 was a particularly cold one in Europe. Hendrick Avercamp was one of the first Dutch painters to specialise in snow scenes and his 1608 oil painting 'Winter Landscape with Skaters' depicts townsfolk skating, playing kolf, walking and occasionally falling over on an icy frozen river. This talk discusses the fascinating stories in this painting in the collection of the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam.
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There is a tenacious belief that monuments to children did not exist in the medieval period because high child mortality rates left parents resigned or even indifferent to losing offspring. Such claims have been convincingly dismissed by... more
There is a tenacious belief that monuments to children did not exist in the medieval period because high child mortality rates left parents resigned or even indifferent to losing offspring. Such claims have been convincingly dismissed by scholars, however. For one thing, there is plenty of evidence that parents did mourn deceased children. And for another, there are numerous example of medieval children being commemorated and memorialised. Yet memorials are not necessarily proof of affection and some of these 'child tombs' are not what they are claimed to be, having become the focus of local legend and misinterpretation over time. This talk will look at some well-known and lesser-known monuments, from the presumed 'Boy Bishop' in Salisbury Cathedral and the dubious 'Stanley Boy' in Elford (Staffordshire) to examples on the Continent. This lecture was originally given for the Church Monuments Society's Spring 2022 online lecture series (original event date 09 April 2022).
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The history of childhood is a rapidly expanding area of study that attracts scholars from many different disciplines using a wide range of material to help us form a better idea of the life of children and youngsters in the past. Yet the... more
The history of childhood is a rapidly expanding area of study that attracts scholars from many different disciplines using a wide range of material to help us form a better idea of the life of children and youngsters in the past. Yet the same problems that beset the often reviled French historian Philippe Ariès half a century ago still hamper scholars today, viz. the difficulty of how to read visual evidence. This is especially true of the medieval period, and of monuments in particular – an important aspect of memory and memoria studies.
Tomb effigies and monuments offer important evidence on how dead children were commemorated and thus also on the status of children in the Middle Ages. Too often it has been assumed that deceased children were simply ‘forgotten’ because they were too numerous and too unimportant – merely genetic and dynastic failures. Ariès’s claim that monuments to children are absent in the medieval period and that this indicates an absence of affection has already been countered by the numerous surviving examples across Europe. Yet the existence of such monuments does not simply prove affection for a dead child, either, for their prime function was to attract prayers for the soul of the deceased.
Age does not appear to have been a major consideration in medieval commemoration. Many memorials only state the date of death, and not the date of birth or age of the deceased, so that it is difficult to establish whether the deceased died young. Moreover, many medieval effigies appear to have been designed to reflect the belief that all mankind will assume the perfect age in heaven. Children may thus be presented on monuments as much older than they actually were when they died – a phenomenon that we find across Europe.
The first task is to identify monuments to children correctly. The difficulty is not only the frequent lack of documentation but also the fact that these monuments are not always easy to recognise as child memorials. Seemingly adult figures may prove to be children – or offspring of any age. Yet too sentimental an approach can lead to miniature effigies being interpreted as children because of their size, whereas these often commemorate heart (or viscera) burials instead. For monuments to function it was essential that contemporary viewers were able to read them. If we wish to use these memorial as evidence for childhood in the past, we need to be able to understand them first, and the ideas underlying their appearance.
Tomb effigies and monuments offer important evidence on how dead children were commemorated and thus also on the status of children in the Middle Ages. Too often it has been assumed that deceased children were simply ‘forgotten’ because they were too numerous and too unimportant – merely genetic and dynastic failures. Ariès’s claim that monuments to children are absent in the medieval period and that this indicates an absence of affection has already been countered by the numerous surviving examples across Europe. Yet the existence of such monuments does not simply prove affection for a dead child, either, for their prime function was to attract prayers for the soul of the deceased.
Age does not appear to have been a major consideration in medieval commemoration. Many memorials only state the date of death, and not the date of birth or age of the deceased, so that it is difficult to establish whether the deceased died young. Moreover, many medieval effigies appear to have been designed to reflect the belief that all mankind will assume the perfect age in heaven. Children may thus be presented on monuments as much older than they actually were when they died – a phenomenon that we find across Europe.
The first task is to identify monuments to children correctly. The difficulty is not only the frequent lack of documentation but also the fact that these monuments are not always easy to recognise as child memorials. Seemingly adult figures may prove to be children – or offspring of any age. Yet too sentimental an approach can lead to miniature effigies being interpreted as children because of their size, whereas these often commemorate heart (or viscera) burials instead. For monuments to function it was essential that contemporary viewers were able to read them. If we wish to use these memorial as evidence for childhood in the past, we need to be able to understand them first, and the ideas underlying their appearance.
Research Interests: Iconography, Medieval History, Death, Death Studies, Death (Anthropology), and 21 moreMedieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Anthropology of Children and Childhood, History of Childhood and Youth, Archaeology of Childhood, History of Childhood, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Childhood in Literature, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Thanatology - Death Studies, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Cultural Attitudes Toward Death, History of Death & Dying, Death and Dying, Mourning and Remembrance, Art and Death, Childhood studies, Archaeology of death and burial, Death, Grief, and Mourning, and Monuments & Memorials
Within Dutch architectural painting of the Golden Age, several artists specialised in church interiors. Those by the famous Haarlem artist Pieter Saenredam (1597-1665) tend to focus mainly on the architectural details and perspective, but... more
Within Dutch architectural painting of the Golden Age, several artists specialised in church interiors. Those by the famous Haarlem artist Pieter Saenredam (1597-1665) tend to focus mainly on the architectural details and perspective, but others chose to fill such interiors with people, such as a congregation attending a sermon. Specific genre elements came to be repeated as well, from breastfeeding mothers to children at play. In several paintings children are shown rubbing ledger stones or brasses on the church floor. A very unusual motif can be found in a painting of the interior of the church of St Bavo in Haarlem by the Haarlem artist Gerrit Berckheyde, viz. a stonemason at work.
Research Interests: Iconography, History of Perspective in Painting, Painting, History of Sculpture, Sculpture, and 10 moreDeath and Burial (Archaeology), Church monuments, 17th Century Dutch Republic, Church architecture, Gravestones, Burial Customs, 16th and 17th century Dutch and Flemish Art, Cemetery Sculpture and Monuments, Dutch Golden Age, and Dutch Genre Painting
It is often assumed that children do not really occur in medieval art. The problem for researchers is not so much one of finding representations of childhood, but of recognizing them. Medieval art has its own conventions and if we... more
It is often assumed that children do not really occur in medieval art. The problem for researchers is not so much one of finding representations of childhood, but of recognizing them. Medieval art has its own conventions and if we approach it with a present-minded attitude we are indeed likely to find only ‘miniature adults’ at best. This easily leads to a conclusion that medieval society neither knew nor understood the concept of childhood. Yet size and proportion can be deceptive: medieval art does not necessarily meet modern standards of naturalism and a small figure need not represent a child. This chapter considers representations of children in early medieval art, including memorials and monuments, placing these images in their artistic, iconological, and theological contexts.
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It seems inconceivable that, in a period when the most popular image was that of the Madonna and Child, there was little or no understanding of or affection for children in everyday life, yet such is the popular misconception about... more
It seems inconceivable that, in a period when the most popular image was that of the Madonna and Child, there was little or no understanding of or affection for children in everyday life, yet such is the popular misconception about medieval childhood. One factor ...
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Recommended Citation Oosterwijk, Sophie. "BOOK REVIEW: Kim Woods, Cut in Alabaster. A Material of Sculpture and its European Traditions, 1350–1550, Distinguished Contributions to the Study of the Arts in the Burgundian Netherlands, 3... more
Recommended Citation Oosterwijk, Sophie. "BOOK REVIEW: Kim Woods, Cut in Alabaster. A Material of Sculpture and its European Traditions, 1350–1550, Distinguished Contributions to the Study of the Arts in the Burgundian Netherlands, 3 (Turnhout: Brepols/Harvey Miller, 2018)." Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture 7, 1 (2019): 183-194. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol7/iss1/11
Research Interests: Iconography, Art, Medieval History, Medieval Studies, History of Sculpture, and 13 moreSculpture, Medieval Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Tomb Sculpture, Tombs (Medieval Studies), Materiality, Artisan Workshop practice in the Early Modern period, The Use of Marble and Other Stones, Stone carving and lapidary techniques, Sculptural polychromy, Medieval Sculpture, and Alabaster Sculpture
This edition of Lydgate’s 'Dance of Death' offers a detailed comparison of the different text versions of the poem, as well as a new scholarly edition and translation of Marchant’s 1485 French 'Danse... more
This edition of Lydgate’s 'Dance of Death' offers a detailed comparison of the different text versions of the poem, as well as a new scholarly edition and translation of Marchant’s 1485 French 'Danse Macabre' publication, along with an art-historical analysis of its woodcuts. Richly illustrated, the book addresses the cultural context and historical circumstances of Lydgate’s poem and its model, the mural of 1424-25 in Paris with the accompanying French poem, as well as their precursors, notably the 'Vado Mori' poems and the Legend of the Three Living and the Three Dead. It discusses authorship, the personification and visualisation of Death, and the wider dissemination of the Dance in medieval wall painting, print, and drama. The edited texts include commentaries, notes, and a glossary.
Research Interests: English Literature, Art, Death Studies, Middle English, Medieval Studies, and 14 moreWord and Image Studies, Illustration, Manuscript Studies, Medieval Drama, Printing History, Medieval Art, Mortality, Middle English literature and culture, Black Death, John Lydgate, French language and literature of Middle Ages, Death and Burial Archaeology, Brill, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
The liveliest and most attractive animals serving as footrests on medieval tombs are probably dogs. They may be seen peeping out from under ladies’ skirts, looking up at their master or mistress, or barking for attention. As an emblem of... more
The liveliest and most attractive animals serving as footrests on medieval tombs are probably dogs. They may be seen peeping out from under ladies’ skirts, looking up at their master or mistress, or barking for attention. As an emblem of fidelity, dogs were evidently considered an appropriate symbol for the medieval tomb monuments of married women. The meaning of this motif is unclear, but one might wonder whether these dogs represented the deceased’s own pets. This idea is not as far-fetched as one might think, for personalized pet dogs do occur on medieval monuments, in particular beneath the feet of female effigies. This essay examines the lost origins of this popular motif and how its meaning may have changed over time.
Research Interests: Iconography and Art
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... The Swaddling Clothes of Christ: A Medieval Relic on Display. Autores: Sophie Oosterwijk; Localización: Medieval life, ISSN 1357-6291, Nº 13, 2000 , págs. 25-30. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios... more
... The Swaddling Clothes of Christ: A Medieval Relic on Display. Autores: Sophie Oosterwijk; Localización: Medieval life, ISSN 1357-6291, Nº 13, 2000 , págs. 25-30. Fundación Dialnet. Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios registrados Usuario. Contraseña. Entrar. ...
Research Interests: Art, Pilgrimage, Pilgrimage Routes, History of Childhood and Youth, Archaeology of Childhood, and 11 moreHistory of Religion (Medieval Studies), Relics (Religion), Folk Religion, Childhood studies, Clothing, Medieval Textiles, Medieval Iconography, Relics and Relic Veneration, Medieval Textiles and Clothing, Medieval Life, and Mediaeval Cult of Relics and Saints
[The University of Leicester]. Leicester Research Archive. ...
Research Interests: Iconography, Art History, Medieval Literature, Art, Death Studies, and 15 moreManuscripts and Early Printed Books, Medieval English Literature, History of Childhood and Youth, Medieval Archaeology, Archaeology of Childhood, Commemoration and Memory, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Lydgate, John Lydgate, Childhood, Medieval Iconography, Dance of Death, Death and Burial Archaeology, and Childhood History
... ИНФОРМАЦИЯ О ПУБЛИКАЦИИ. Название публикации, OF MOPS AND PUPPETS: THE AMBIGUOUS USE OF THE WORD MOP IN THE TOWNELEY SHEPHERDS PLAYS. Авторы,SOPHIE OOSTERWIJK. Журнал, Notes and Queries. Издательство, Oxford University Press ...
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Research Interests: Archaeology, Iconography, Medieval Literature, Architecture, Medieval History, and 14 moreDeath Studies, Medieval French Literature, Medieval Studies, Death & Dying (Thanatology), Medieval Portraiture, Commemoration and Memory, Medieval France, Medieval Art, Burgundian history, Medieval Iconography, Burgundian Court, Medieval Danse Macabre, Death and Burial Archaeology, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
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On-line archive of research work from the University of Leicester.
Research Interests: Geography, Iconography, Medieval Literature, Medieval History, Death, and 15 moreDeath Studies, History of Medicine, Medieval Studies, Medieval Drama, Portraiture, Commemoration and Memory, Sculpture, Anthropology of Death, Medieval Art, Church monuments, Christian Iconography, Medieval Iconography, Memoria, Death and Burial Archaeology, and The Medieval Danse Macabre
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An English princess of the mid-thirteenth century, dead by the age of three and a half, Katherine occupies only a footnote in the history of England. Yet the costly tomb monument at Westminster Abbey provided by her grieving father, Henry... more
An English princess of the mid-thirteenth century, dead by the age of three and a half, Katherine occupies only a footnote in the history of England. Yet the costly tomb monument at Westminster Abbey provided by her grieving father, Henry iii, was probably the earliest recorded memorial to a child known to have been set up in England. It may also have been part of Henry's response to the commemoration programme that his brother-in-law, Louis ix of France, had instigated. Nothing now apparently remains of Katherine's tomb to remind posterity of her brief existence, but its commissioning marked a step up in Henry's growing ambition to be seen as an innovator at the forefront of the artistic developments of his age, and the story surrounding its provision affords insights into the role of display and material culture in Henrician politics.
Research Interests: History, Archaeology, Medieval History, Death Studies, Medieval Studies, and 15 moreHistory of Childhood and Youth, History of Childhood, Commemoration and Memory, Medieval Children and Childood, Materiality of Art, Church Archaeology, Church monuments, Metallurgy (Medieval Studies), Tombs (Medieval Studies), Medieval Sculpture (XIII-XVth Century), Henry III of England (1216-1272), Materiality, Monuments, Historical Studies, and Death and Burial Archaeology
Recommended Citation Oosterwijk, Sophie. "Book review Ashby Kinch, Imago Mortis. Mediating Images of Death in Late Medieval Culture, Visualizing the Middle Ages, vol. 9 (Leiden: Brill, 2013), XVI + 301 pages, 45 b/w and color... more
Recommended Citation Oosterwijk, Sophie. "Book review Ashby Kinch, Imago Mortis. Mediating Images of Death in Late Medieval Culture, Visualizing the Middle Ages, vol. 9 (Leiden: Brill, 2013), XVI + 301 pages, 45 b/w and color illustrations, €136.00/US$189.00 (hb.), ISBN 1874-0448." Peregrinations: Journal of Medieval Art and Architecture 4, 2 (2013): 262-267. https://digital.kenyon.edu/perejournal/vol4/iss2/11
[The University of Leicester]. Leicester Research Archive. ...