Thursday, February 26, 2009

Huh. How about that?

My article on painted cloth hangings in the Middle Ages, Whips and Angels, is cited twice in Wikipedia. Once for the article on Samite (where they misspell my SCA name) and once for the article on Joyous Entry (where they give my modern name).
Every now and then the article brings me an inquiry on either 'How can I paint my medieval costume to look as if it's embroidered?' or 'How can I tell whether this tatty piece of painted linen is medieval?'
That it should be used within the Society for Creative Anachronism, and perhaps re-enactment groups, for documentation or research, that I pretty much expect. That it should be treated as a 'real' resource always surprises me. Especially when Diane Wolfthal's book The Beginnings of Netherlandish Canvas Painting, 1400-1530, is available.
I suppose it's the immediacy of it being online and not requiring physical movement.

The title, in case anyone is wondering, is a reference to one of the many, many, many (and yeah, many) medieval and early modern painted cloths that have been lost to time and changing fashion and moths. That one was recorded in an inventory which mentioned that it was painted with 'whips and angels', probably for Lenten decoration. It's my little shriek of frustration that so little is known for sure.
Though it would also make a good title for something by krylyr, maybe?

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