Monday, July 1, 2013

Gloucester Cathedral: Extras

Family burial: note children at lower left and right














Window depicting the coronation of Edward II


















Tomb of Edward II; a long story...he was
murdered, perhaps gruesomely, after abdicating,
by henchmen of his wife, the Queen, and Roger
Mortimer (who paid for his crime, gruesomely);
Gloucester was the only cathedral that would
accept Edward's body; later it became a major
pilgrimage site: the power of revisionist
historiography?


























Baptismal font, 1190, in the Lady Hall














Interesting burial of Robert, Duke of Normandy, a major
benefactor of Gloucester, and eldest son of William the
Conqueror; William had interesting ideas about his sons
and succession, preferring his youngest, who became
Henry I; Henry had the middle brother mysteriously die in
New Forest and incarcerated Robert for 34 years in Cardiff
Castle; the pose, we were told, was that of a crusader,
always ready to spring into action to save Jerusalem or
plunder Constantinople or whatever





















We seldom like contemporary sculpture, but did like this
Holy Family















Some of the better stained light on the floor we have seen














In the apse, some beautiful non-perpendicular
buttressing as well as a glimpse of the
Decorated vaulting there




















And finally, that which is irresistible at
Gloucester, the fan vaulting in the cloister,
said to be its earliest example




















More; it is largely decorative and not
structural, I understand



















Closer up














While the organ was filling the cathedral
with glorious music inside, the great tower
bells peeled outside for more than an hour;
we sat and listened for quite a while





















Last look at one of the great sights

1 comment:

Tawana said...

Love the photos. The fan vaulting is spectacular. Interesting story about William's sons. I should read more history.