Cathy's Art Diary

Fascinating online lecture from British Museum looking at what has been learned from bringing a window from Canterbury Cathedral to the current Becket exhibition at the museum. Leonie Seliger from Canterbury Cathedral, Glass Department and Rachel Kopmans from York University Toronto and an expert on the miracle stories of Becket were a great double act dividing the talk between then as a dialogue. They outline the discoveries they had made by combing their expertise. A great piece of detective work! They talked about how some of the miracle stories were shown in the window and how closer observation and a deep knowledge of the stories had enabled them to confirm which story was which. I loved their description of closely studying a figure being washed at Becket’s tomb and finding spots confirming it a the story of Ralph the Leper. I loved Leonie’s story of phoning Rachel to says “Hurray we have leprosy”! There work has also confirmed that one panel in in fact in the wrong window...

Detailed and fascinating talk from the Courtauld Research Forum on how Isabella of France both used and had artistic propaganda used against her following her invasion of England in 1326. Laura Slater of the University of Cambridge, talked us thorough a rough history of Isabella, wife of Edward II, who deposed Edward in favour of his son due to his father’s reliance on favourites, firstly Piers Gaveston and later the Despensers. Both sides of the issue slandered the other with Isabella being accused of adultery with Roger Mortimer and Edward of sodomy. Its all quite complicated! Slater outlined how Isabella aligned herself in speeches and imagery with Queen Esther of the Old Testament, another complex story involving an advisor, and how she rebuilt the Greyfriars church in London as a gesture to the city that had supported her. Meanwhile her supporters spread rumours of Edward’s sodomy via sermons.  S later then took us through imagery which may point to Isabella’s adultery ...

Exhibition at the National Gallery of German Renaissance stained glass showing the glass alongside paintings from the same region. It began with a good technical explanation of the different techniques involved. It had never struck me before that the light effects in glass were often not painted but were the effects of scraping off the tint which had been painted onto the back of the glass. I did start to wonder if there are any parallels between the sections of stained glass panels and fresco day pieces. It was super to see drawings by Durer next to the windows which were based on them. My favourite piece was the first you see “Tobias and Sarah on their wedding night” a small but detailed picture of a couple in bed. I loved the effect of the tiling behind the bed, the grain on the wood of the furniture, the lovely dog and the slippers by the bed. Reviews Times Guardian