The Wilton Diptych

Artwork: The Wilton Diptych

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Artist: Unknown

Created: c. 1399

Medium and Techniques: Egg tempera on oak

Dimensions: 57 x 29 cm (each panel)

Location: National Gallery, London, UK

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Photo ©️ Costanza-Lillyanne Essco (LillynisthArtist’s)

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“Richard II Presented to the Virgin and Child by his Patron Saint John the Baptist and Saints Edward and Edmund is commonly known as The Wilton Diptych, which takes its name from Wilton House, the seat of the Earl of Pembroke, where the painting was once housed.

Consisting of two hinged panels, a diptych was a portable altarpiece, which its owner would carry on journeys and unfold as an aid to private prayer. This example was created for the ill-fated English monarch Richard II (reigned 1377-99). The unknown artist has represented the somewhat effeminate king kneeling, in the left hand panel. The figures behind him are recognizable by their emblems. John the Baptist, Richard’s patron saint, carries a lamb while Edmund the Martyr holds one of the Danish arrows that killed him, and Edward the Confessor has a ring. These holy men are presenting the king to the Virgin Mary, the infant Jesus, and the angels. The painting is scattered with the king’s personal emblem – the white stag – worn by the angels as well as the king himself. An angel holds what may be the banner of St. George, and in the silver globe atop the staff floats a tiny image of Britain. The diptych emphasized the sanctity bestowed on the monarch by God, but also provided a salutary warning against the vanity of kings. It is one of the finest examples of the graceful International Gothic style, prevalent in Europe at that time, and is a superb relic of a unique period in European art. It is also a very rare survivor of England’s lost Catholic heritage.”(RG)

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