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Definitive work from the V&A celebrating the glories of late medieval English art and architecture.

Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 edited by Richard Marks and Paul Williamson

Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 is the definitive catalogue published to coincide with the major Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) exhibition of the same name which ended in January 2004, celebrating the glories of late medieval English art and architecture.

A sequel to the hugely successful Age of Chivalry: Art in Plantagenet England 1200-1400 exhibition, which was held at the Royal Academy in 1987-8. the book offers a compelling introduction to the subject in its own right, and is the only publication of such size and scope covering this important period of English history.

Fires, wars - and, not least, the Reformation - have destroyed much of the art of the 1400-1547 ‘gothic’ period, making the surviving art and artefacts extremely rare – and this book, like the exhibition it was issued to accompany – collects some of the very best.

Late Gothic architecture - the so-called Perpendicular Style - has long been celebrated as one of the supreme achievements of the age. It produced such magnificent buildings as King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, and Henry VIII’s palace at Hampton Court as well as many new parish churches particularly in East Anglia and the Cotswolds.

Sophisticated

At the same time there was a great demand for new works of art of all kinds, the finest of which are featured in this book: sculpture, woodwork, wall paintings, illuminated manuscripts and stained glass for churches; tapestries and plate for the increasingly sophisticated domestic interior; books and jewels as objects of personal wealth and adornment. Although many of these were the work of English craftsmen, the period is also distinguished by the presence of numerous European artists, and many imported works of art are also included.

Leading medieval art historians, specialists in political, religious, social and economic history, archaeologists and musicologists have contributed major essays on subjects which encompass many aspects of life in this vibrant and influential time in English history – from war and politics to royalty and patronage, from religion and the relationship with Europe to music and architecture.

There is no other publication of this size and scope covering this important period of art in England’s artistic history. Priced at £45.00, bound in hardback and containing over 410 colour and 65 black and white illustrations, leading medieval scholars have contributed essays on subjects which encompass all aspects of life from war and politics to royalty and patronage, religion and the relationship with Europe, music and architecture.

Timeline

Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 includes 360 catalogue entries which provide a complete record of this ground-breaking new exhibition and documenting many objects that have never previously been published. The scholarly text and magnificent illustrations - as well an informative Timeline and extensive bibliography - result in a superbly designed and produced book which will be the definitive work on the subject for some time to come.

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