The legends of King Arthur in art

the long version

"This is a study of works of art inspired by legends of King Arthur and his knights and produced over a period of nine centuries in Western Europe and North America. It covers illuminated manuscripts, printed books, sculpture, pavements, wall paintings, easel paintings, drawings, embroideries, tapestries, stained glass, objets d'art, furniture, clothing and other items." "Muriel Whitaker surveys this wide array of material as a specialist in Arthurian texts from the middle ages to the present day; her emphasis on content, rather than form, offers an original perspective, different from that of the art historian. Her purpose is to explain the social, political, religious and aesthetic conditions which influenced representations of Arthurian legends in various historical periods, and she has consulted a wide variety of sources - including inventories, technical treatises, letters, memoirs and diaries - to explain the legends' enduring attraction for artists from the middle ages to the Pre-Raphaelites, and for patrons ranging from the Duc de Berry to the trustees of Boston Public Library."--Jacket.