English Medieval GraffitiGraffiti ('drawings or writings scratched on a wall or other surface') are to be found incised on the walls and pillars of innumerable cathedrals and churches in Great Britain. Most were done between the twelfth and early fifteenth centuries; many are valuable as examples of medieval art; and some are important for their preservation of particular styles of epigraphy. In this work, Mrs Pritchard has studied the inscriptions and drawings in a large number of churches, mostly within a radius of sixty miles of Cambridge. These graffiti are far from mere scratchings performed by unskilled hands; they are highly imaginative, boldly executed drawings, combining freedom of line with occasional fussiness of detail, and inscriptions whose clarity and precision of lettering equal in execution the contemporary manuscript. Many were subsequently covered by medieval wall paintings; others have been partly defaced by cleaning and restoration of the original stone. Mrs Pritchard illuminates a neglected corner of medieval art; and her skilful rubbings (over two hundred of them illustrate this book) preserve these curious relics of medieval artistry against the erosion of time and restoration. |
Contents
Descriptions of individual graffiti I | 54 |
Fleurdelis | 175 |
Historical Graffiti at Ashwell Hertfordshire | 181 |
Copyright | |
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Abbey aisle Anstey appears Architecture arms Bedfordshire Belchamp Walter belong Bishop built Cambridge Cambridgeshire carved castle Cathedral Chalgrave chapel Christian church connected Cowlinge crest cross crown Crusades decoration dedication Dr W.H.S. Jones drawing drawn early Ellis Minns Ely Cathedral England English Essex evidence example fifteenth century figure Flamstead font fourteenth century graffito graffito fig Harlton head fig Hertfordshire History Horseheath Hoxne Ibid illustrated inches with five incised King knight Lacock Latin inscription Library lion London Lydgate Maeshowe manuscript Matthew Paris medieval miniature Museum nave Norman orig original Oxford Paris pelta pillar probably Professor Psalter recorded represent Richard Roman Saints Sawston Saxon Scott-Giles seal seen shield Shillington shows Sible Hedingham south arcade St Albans St Edmunds St John St Mary Steeple Bumpstead Stetchworth Stoke-by-Clare stone Suffolk suggests swastika-pelta sword symbol thirteenth century tion twelfth century wall wearing Westley Waterless Worlington writes