Once I was a clever boy learning the arts of Oxford... is a quotation from the verses written by Bishop Richard Fleming (c.1385-1431) for his tomb in Lincoln Cathedral. Fleming, the founder of Lincoln College in Oxford, is the subject of my research for a D. Phil., and, like me, a son of the West Riding. I have remarked in the past that I have a deeply meaningful on-going relationship with a dead fifteenth century bishop... it was Fleming who, in effect, enabled me to come to Oxford and to learn its arts, and for that I am immensely grateful.


Monday 28 November 2022

Cleaning medieval art


Following on from my post More controversy over the restoration of Notre Dame about cleaning the interiors of the cathedrals of Notre Dame in Paris and Chartres by happenstance I came upon a recent post from Medievalists.net about the Toledo Museum of Art in the US and their recent exercise of cleaning stained glass, sculpture and textiles as well as the rebuilt cloisters in their collection. Looking at the images used to illustrate it I do not think anyone could doubt the aesthetic benefits of such conservation work.



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