Aug 28, 2024
I have wondered about the symbolic meaning behind the scallop shell in architecture. It is associated with the St James and the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela. Does it have any significance though in its application on buildings or furnishings? This post throws...
Apr 8, 2024
When I was researching Tudor and early-Stuart gatehouses in the central southwest of England, one of the common features that occurred was the shell-headed niche. The niche whether empty or filled by a statue becomes a significant architectural device in England from...
Nov 7, 2023
From the 16th century the expression of neo-classicism is beloved by gentry. They wish to demonstrate their education and taste in elaborate ways. Tomb monuments are a fixed mechanism of doing this. Neo-classical taste is a trying to hark back to beyond the Gothic,...
Aug 23, 2023
The 18th-century Grand Tour must have been exciting time for young patricians seeking to discover the ancient world first hand in Rome. If they could put aside the temptations of pleasurable diversions, then serious learning and procuring a collection were attainable....
Aug 3, 2023
Book Review of ELTHAM LODGE: Where Perfection meets Convenience by John H. Bunney I was intrigued by the title of this publication as it sums up the idea of country house building. Their design is an attempt at mastery of perfection, to present certain ideals and...
Apr 30, 2023
On a recent visit to Wells Cathedral, I noticed the tomb effigy of Giso of Lorraine in the north aisle. He had been Bishop of Bath and Wells from 1061 to 1088. His church would have been the Anglo-Saxon cathedral which stood before the current Gothic one. In 909, the...
