I’m back at the Summer Show at the Royal Academy from Oct 20 – Jan 21

My print of Canterbury cathedral cloisters is on display now at the Summer Show at the Royal Academy.

The show will run from October 6^th until 3^rd of January 2021. Please note that because of the Covid situation, entry has to be pre-booked this year.

On my visit to Canterbury I was intrigued and inspired by the Great Cloister, designed by Archbishop Thomas Arundel and constructed between 1408-1414.

The ceiling of the cloister is effectively a Roll of Arms originally containing 856 heraldic shields. Presumably the bearers of those arms would have made a donation to the cathedral to finance the construction of these beautiful cloister – mediaeval fundraising at its finest.

Over time, some shields have been lost, but after new research the bosses are currently being restored.

The two figures give locus, incident, focus, scale, and a sense of timelessness. We could be looking at this scene at any time between the 15^th century and now.