A while ago I came across a photograph on Flickr an effigy in the church at Broughton, which is adjacent to Broughton Castle, near Banbury. The effigy is thought to be that of Sir Thomas Wykeham who died in 1470. His family had received the estate from their great relative and benefactor Bishop William Wykeham who had bought the estate in 1377. In 1451 it passed by inheritance to the Fiennes family, Lords Saye and Sele, who still own it. I am not sure how Sir Thomas fits into the family but I assume he was a cadet of the main line. From his collar of suns and roses he clearly identified as a Yorkist partisan in the events of those years.
What however is especially noteworthy is his facial expression. I do not recall actually noticing this on my only visit to the church, which has a very fine selection of tombs and significant remains of medieval painted decoration, but, judging from the photograph, Sir Thomas’ physiognomy is striking.
The Flickr photograph can be seen by copying and pasting https://pin.it/5UHk64S5Z
There is a slightly less forceful image here:
Image: dailyartmagazine.com
Later medieval alabaster effigies do quite frequently have rather protuberant eyes, but Sir Thomas appears to be in a league of his own. The half closed lids and clearly marked eye-balls enhance the frisson he creates.
Looking at him you wonder if he had thyroid problems, or was an ancestor of Boris Karloff, or if he simply had had one hell of a boosey night…..
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