Object of Devotion: Medieval English Alabaster Sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum Williamson, Paul; Cannan, Fergus; Duffy, Eamon and Perkinson, Stephen

Description

During the late Middle Ages, English craftsmen, based mainly in the Midlands, carved finely decorated images from alabaster – a fine-grained form of gypsum – for display in churches, homes and private chapels. With essays by several leading scholars, this lavish publication accompanies a US touring exhibition of medieval English alabaster sculpture from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and offers an unrivalled glimpse into the spiritual lives, hopes, fears and religious aspirations of both aristocratic and non-aristocratic society during the Middle Ages. Since alabasters from England were sold across the Continent in considerable quantities, the catalogue sheds light on issues of spirituality, devotion and culture beyond the English Channel.Object of Devotion exhibition schedule:December 2, 2010 – January 16, 2011 Society of the Four Arts, Palm Beach, FloridaFebruary 5 – May 15, 2011 Bowdoin College Museum of Art, Brunswick, MaineSeptember 3 – November 13, 2011 Tyler Museum of Art, Tyler, TexasDecember 3, 2011 – February 12, 2012 Princeton University Art Museum, Princeton, New JerseyMarch 3 – May 13, 2012 Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MichiganJune 2 – November 11, 2012 Museum of Art, Brigham University, Provo, UtahDecember 1, 2012 – February 10, 2013 Huntsville Museum of Art, Huntsville, AlabamaMarch 2 – May 26, 2013 North Carolina Museum of Art, Raleigh, North Carolina