Overview

The first major illustrated study of this unique medieval art form for almost half a century, surveying the images and iconography that made the medieval church a riot of colour. Highly Commended in the Best Archaeological Book category of the 2008 British Archaeological Awards. Wall paintings are a unique art form, complementing, and yet distinctly separate from, other religious imageryin churches. Unlike carvings, or stained glass windows, their support was the structure itself, with the artist's ""canvas"" the very stone and plaster of the church. They were also monumental, often larger than life-size images forpublic audiences. Notwithstanding their dissimilarity from other religious art, wall paintings were also an integral part of church interiors, enhancing devotional imagery and inspiring faith and commitment in their own right, and providing an artistic setting for the church's sacred rituals and public ceremonies. This book brings together, often for the first time, many of the very best surviving examples of medieval church wall paintings. Using newtechnologies and many previously untried techniques, it allows us to visualize these images as the artists originally intended. The plates are accompanied by an authoritative and scholarly text, bringing the imagery and iconography of the medieval church vividly to life. ROGER ROSEWELL was educated at St Edmund Hall, Oxford University. A former journalist, he is a Director of a private European art foundation and the news editor of the online stained glass magazine, VIDIMUS.

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9781843834847

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Praise for the hardback edition: No reader can fail to find the photographs wholly illuminating. CORNERSTONEHow welcome the publication of this book is!(...)It is genuinely exciting to turn the book's pages and to see these vigorous, relatively unknown designs.(...)the effort and ingenuity that has gone into presenting and synthesizing this material makes the book extremely valuable.(...)Successful recovery of these paintings from their obscure positions symbolizes this book's larger recuperative achievement. THE MEDIEVAL REVIEWRosewell has done a service to readers, learned and unlearned, by gathering these examples together. TLSA well-written and handsomely presented book, certain to appeal to a wide readership. (...) The great strength of the book is in its wonderful colour pictures: of both familiar and unexpected subjects, and usually of higher quality than published before. BBC HISTORY MAGAZINEA splendid book (...) Mr Rosewell knows what he is talking about, and explains how the paintings were made, what they mean, who paid for them, and how they've fared since. CHRISTOPHER HOWSE, DAILY TELEGRAPHMy Easter book of the year...a magisterial compendium of this most elusive English vernacular form. SIMON JENKINS, THE GUARDIANOne of the most interesting, useful and attractive books on the medieval church to appear for some time. (...) Well-written and accessible. BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGYA long-awaited and very comprehensive survey that will be of major interest to all those interested in exploring ancient parish churches. COUNTRY LIFE(A) hugely enjoyable book...big enough to accommodate detailed images of all but the most complex schemes, and as they are printed on quality paper, some of the details are superb. (...) Any church explorer will find.much to delight them. www.norfolkchurches.co.ukThis is a book to be enjoyed and made use of by every person interested in our church heritage. THE ROUND TOWER MAGAZINE(The author) has done us an invaluable service with his critical appreciation of this precious heritage. OXFORD TIMES(An) excellent book. WORCESTERSHIRE RECORDER (Worcestershire Archaeological Society)What a wonderful contribution this book is! (T)he importance of this book is immense.(...)Rarely have I seen such a comprehensive, scholarly, yet useable and understandable volume on such an obscure subject area, which engaged me both as a reader and as a viewer of the art itself. REFERENCE REVIEWS

It requires enormous effort of the imagination to envisage how our churches must have looked when every surface was covered with crowded, bright, sometimes very beautiful (...) paintings. This book is the best possible guide to those pre-Reformation times. SUFFOLK VIEW Praise for the hardback edition: No reader can fail to find the photographs wholly illuminating. CORNERSTONEHow welcome the publication of this book is!(...)It is genuinely exciting to turn the book's pages and to see these vigorous, relatively unknown designs.(...)the effort and ingenuity that has gone into presenting and synthesizing this material makes the book extremely valuable.(...)Successful recovery of these paintings from their obscure positions symbolizes this book's larger recuperative achievement. THE MEDIEVAL REVIEWRosewell has done a service to readers, learned and unlearned, by gathering these examples together. TLSA well-written and handsomely presented book, certain to appeal to a wide readership. (...) The great strength of the book is in its wonderful colour pictures: of both familiar and unexpected subjects, and usually of higher quality than published before. BBC HISTORY MAGAZINEA splendid book (...) Mr Rosewell knows what he is talking about, and explains how the paintings were made, what they mean, who paid for them, and how they've fared since. CHRISTOPHER HOWSE, DAILY TELEGRAPHMy Easter book of the year...a magisterial compendium of this most elusive English vernacular form. SIMON JENKINS, THE GUARDIANOne of the most interesting, useful and attractive books on the medieval church to appear for some time. (...) Well-written and accessible. BRITISH ARCHAEOLOGYA long-awaited and very comprehensive survey that will be of major interest to all those interested in exploring ancient parish churches. COUNTRY LIFE(A) hugely enjoyable book...big enough to accommodate detailed images of all but the most complex schemes, and as they are printed on quality paper, some of the details are superb. (...) Any church explorer will find.much to delight them. www.norfolkchurches.co.ukThis is a book to be enjoyed and made use of by every person interested in our church heritage. THE ROUND TOWER MAGAZINE(The author) has done us an invaluable service with his critical appreciation of this precious heritage. OXFORD TIMES(An) excellent book. WORCESTERSHIRE RECORDER

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