Stone Fidelity: Memorialising Marriage in Medieval Tomb Sculpture

Boydell Studies in Medieval Art and Architecture

by Jessica Barker

Medieval tombs often depict husband and wife lying side-by-side: demonstrating, as in the words of Philip Larkin's poem An Arundel Tomb, their "stone fidelity".
This is the first book to address the phenomenon of the "double tomb", drawing the rich history of tomb sculpture into dialogue with discourses of power, marriage, gender and emotion, and placing them in the context of ecclesastical material culture of the time more broadly. It offers new interpretations of some of the most famous medieval monuments, such as those found in Westminster Abbey and Canterbury Cathedral, as well as drawing attention to a host of lesser-known memorials from throughout Europe. In turn, these monuments provide a vantage point from which to reconsider the culture of medieval marriage, from wedding rings and dresses, to the sacramental symbolism of matrimony, and embodied ritual practices. Whilst it is tempting to read these sculptures as straightforward expressions of romantic feeling, the author argues that a closer look reveals the artifice behind the emotion: the artistic, religious, political and legal agenda underlying the rhetoric of married love.

Genres: Art, Academic

354 pages, Hardcover

Published April 17, 2020

Reviews

[Ellie Monks]

A well written, well thought out work on medieval tombs which challenges the belief that those who are supposedly buried together (and immortalised in stone) had a deep romantic love for each other.

[Emily Heimerman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stone Fidelity is well-researched, gripping, and enlightening. The writing style is fluid and the subject matter is nothing less than captivating. It's a priceless contribution to the study of tomb sculpture, gender analysis, and emotional histories.