Medieval History
I recently had this question e-mailed to me, and I thought I would post both the question and my answer.
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Croft, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.Yesterday I drove down to Croft near Skegness ostensibly to photograph the glorious fifteenth century brass eagle lectern that the church has. There are only two dozen of these in the country. My...
Medieval History
Lions in Fifteenth Century French Tapestries
I recently had this question e-mailed to me, and I thought I would post both the question and my answer. Q: "Can anyone tell me why the lion looks so odd in the Sight tapestry. It looks like a monkey...In looking at the series the lion's face is really quite unlike other depictions of lions anywhere else. Is this discussed anywhere? The lion looks most normal in Taste."
A: "The lion in Sight does look peculiar, but not as much when compared with other tapestries of the same era. Artists in the fifteenth century had likely never seen a living lion, but copied other artists' etchings, drawings and other media. This becomes particularly clear when you compare renderings of more common creatures, like stags or dogs, which were more naturalistic because artists were familiar with them. Tapestries were woven with cartoons underneath the loom to guide the weaver, and often the artists who created these cartoons were also etchers, engravers, painters, etc. and would have followed the established visual canon in drawing lions, especially when they are heraldic devices.
Lions in tapestries in the late fifteenth century share some common characteristics with the ones in The Lady and the Unicorn. They typically have shaggy manes, open mouths, prominent eyes and are sitting in profile. The tapestry The Winged Stags, by Paul Martin for Charles VII, late fifteenth century, is another example of heraldic lions done in this same style. The body of the seven-headed lion in scene 42 of the famous Apocalypse of Angers tapestry, 1377-79, is an early example of this depiction of lions, minus the mane.
So while the lion in Sight looks a little mangy and unlike any actual lion, it is right at home in the world of fifteenth century tapestries!"
Lions in tapestries in the late fifteenth century share some common characteristics with the ones in The Lady and the Unicorn. They typically have shaggy manes, open mouths, prominent eyes and are sitting in profile. The tapestry The Winged Stags, by Paul Martin for Charles VII, late fifteenth century, is another example of heraldic lions done in this same style. The body of the seven-headed lion in scene 42 of the famous Apocalypse of Angers tapestry, 1377-79, is an early example of this depiction of lions, minus the mane.
So while the lion in Sight looks a little mangy and unlike any actual lion, it is right at home in the world of fifteenth century tapestries!"
- Medieval Badge With Three Lions Discovered - An Omen For England At The World Cup?
The discovery of a medieval artifact in Warwickshiure is raising hopes that England's football team will have luck on their side in the World Cup. Caroline Rann, a field archaeologist with Warwickshire County Council?s Archaeology Projects Group,...
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- News From Hungarian Museums
Medieval and Renaissance tapestries on view at Esztergom Calvary Tournai, late 15th century Esztergom, Christian Museum An exhibition of tapestries has been on view at the Christian Museum in Esztergom since May. The Museum holds a significant...
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Croft, Lincolnshire, originally uploaded by Vitrearum.Yesterday I drove down to Croft near Skegness ostensibly to photograph the glorious fifteenth century brass eagle lectern that the church has. There are only two dozen of these in the country. My...