Medieval paintings

Some stories are so good that they’re told over and over again, morphing in their details but staying the same in their essence. In Europe’s High Middle...

Frederic William Burton disappeared from the cultural radar within a few years of his death

Here’s a little 11th century hair history. During the eleventh century, early Christians set themselves against woman wearing any type of makeup or cosmetics; it was believed to be vain and s…

You may have found yourself wondering on more than one occasion: was William Shakespeare a feminist? The short answer is... no. He wasn't. Being a feminist just wasn't a thing in England 400 years ago: the word "feminism" didn't exist until the…

Stefano Ussi (1822 - 1901)

Ever wanted to see a rabbit riding a human snail while fighting a dog riding a rabbit with a broken neck? Well, now you can!

One of Peter Adamson’s most recent podcast episodes for his History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps particularly delighted me, in the surprises sprinkled richly throughout and its thoughtful y…

Up until the 14th century there was little, if any, representation of the countryside and its buildings in frescoes. Vegetation and architectural features were just used to decorate the borders of …

Adolph Friedrich Erdmann von Menzel, as his full name after his nobilitation late in the 19th century was, is known mostly for the several hundred illustrations for books on and by Frederick the Gr…

Category:Paintings of Christian prayers - Wikimedia Commons

Frank Dicksee (Francis Bernard Dicksee) (1853–1928, Engand) Medievalist paintings Frank Dicksee was a prominent English Victorian painter and illustrator. The son of Thomas Francis Dicksee, a noted...

John Collier (1850-1934), The Sleeping Beauty, 1921, oil on canvas, 111.7 x 142.2 cm. In a private collection This remarkable picture is eloquent testimony to the survival of Pre-Raphaelite values well into the twentieth century. Dating from as late as 1921, it treats the famous fairy story of 'Sleeping Beauty' that had been told many…

Tim’s knowledge of historical styles and techniques have enabled him to carry out accurate facsimiles, as well as re-interpretations of medieval illuminated letters and borders. He has replicated several ancient documents as part of a project on the history of Merton Priory, including a full copy of the Magna Carta. […]