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Martyrdom of St. Edmund, Weare Giffard, Devon (Exeter) early C.15
Photo:T.Marshall
The painting is identified in the church booklet as St. Sebastian, but this is unlikely in England, and St. Edmund was hugely popular even in areas remote from his East Anglian kingdom. It is true that he has no crown, but neither do his counterparts at Bishopsbourne in Kent and Troston in Suffolk.
The saint stands centrally, against a background heavily diapered with peacocks eye decoration. He is tied to a tree, the roots and branches of which show above and below his figure. Virtually all detail of this has gone, but many arrows piercing his body show faintly, much as they do at Stoke Dry in Leicestershire. Two archers flank him, both wearing fashionable very short doublets and taking aim with their longbows. What look like large and prominent purses slung from their belts might possibly be quivers for arrows, but it is very hard to be sure about this.
Still more puzzling are the colours used here. The strong blue-green of the doublets, the purses and, rather incongruously, Edmunds halo, is very unusual, and the painting might have been retouched in post-medieval times. But the blue pigment could equally well suggest that although this is not a particularly accomplished painting, its size and the elaborate diapering, along with the use of costly pigments, made it an expensive commision, more impressive perhaps in its original state than it appears now.
| St. Andrew Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Anne teaching the Virgin to read-Corby Glen, Lincolnshire |
St. Antony and the Pig, Barton, Cambridgeshire |
St. Barbara : Hessett, Suffolk |
St. Bartholomew : Selling, Kent |
St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Castor, Cambs |
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Hardley Street, Norfolk |
| St.Catherine of Alexandria : Old Weston, Northants |
St.Catherine of Alexandria : Pickering, N. Yorks |
St.Catherine of Alexandria, life of : Sporle, Norfolk |
St. Clement : South Leigh, Oxon.
| St. Dunstan holding the Devil by the nose : Barton, Cambs |
St.Edmund : Boxford, Suffolk |
St. Edmund : Lakenheath, Suffolk |
| St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Bishopsbourne, Kent |
St.Edmund, Martyrdom of : Fritton, Norfolk |
St. Edmund (or St. Walstan) : Gisleham, Norfolk |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Pickering, N.Yorks |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Troston, Suffolk |
St. Edmund, Martyrdom of : Weare Giffard, Devon |
| St.Eloi, Broughton, Bucks |
St. Eloi and the possessed horse, Slapton, Northants |
St. Eloi, as bishop & blacksmith, Wensley, N.Yorks |
St.Erasmus, Martyrdom of : Chippenham, Cambs |
St. Etheldreda : Willingham, Cambs |
St.Francis Preaching to the Birds : Wissington, Suffolk
|
St. Francis Receiving the Stigmata, Slapton, Northants |
| St. George & Dragon : Banningham, Norfolk |
St. George & Dragon : Broughton, Bucks |
St. George & Dragon : Earl Stonham, Suffolk |
St. George & Dragon : Fritton, Norfolk |
St. George & Dragon : Hornton, Oxon |
St. George dedicating himself to the Virgin : Astbury, Cheshire |
St. George, with the princess : Little Kimble, Bucks |
| St.Helena, Broughton, Bucks |
St. Hubert, Miracle of : Idsworth, Hants
| St.James the Great : Hales, Norfolk |
Life of St. James, Stoke Orchard, Gloucestershire |
St. James the Great, meeting pilgrims : Wisborough Green, Sussex |
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Chalfont St. Giles, Bucks |
St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Heydon, Norfolk
|
| St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Idsworth, Hampshire
| St. John the Baptist, Martyrdom of : Old Weston, Northants |
Life of St. John the Baptist : Cerne Abbas, Dorset NEW |
St. John the Evangelist, Selling, Kent |
St. John the Evangelist, Weston Longville, Norfolk |
St. Margaret of Antioch : Old Weston, Northants |
St. Margaret and the dragon : South Newington, Oxfordshire NEW |
| St. Margaret of Antioch Martyred, Stoke Dry, Rutland |
St. Margaret of Antioch, Life of : Charlwood, Surrey |
Life of St. Margaret, Wendens Ambo, Essex |
St. Martin dividing his cloak, Chalgrave, Beds |
St. Martin dividing his cloak, Wareham, Dorset |
St.Nicholas of Myra, life of : Little Horwood, Bucks |
St. Nicholas of Myra, two miracles of : Wissington, Suffolk |
| St.Paul : Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Paul : Beckley, Oxon |
St. Peter : Beckley, Oxon |
St.Peter : Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Peter, Martyrdom of : Chacombe, Northants |
St. Roch : Pinvin, Worcs |
St. Sexburga? : Willingham, Cambs |
| St. Stephen, Stoning of: Black Bourton, Oxon |
St. Stephen, Stoning of: Catfield, Norfolk |
St.Swithun (?) enthroned : Old Weston, Northants |
Scenes from the life of St. Swithun : Corhampton, Hampshire NEW |
St. Thomas Becket, blessing, Hauxton, Cambs. |
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of, Marston Magna, Somerset |
St.Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Burlingham, Norfolk |
St. Thomas Becket, Murder of : South Newington, Oxfordshire
| St. Walstan of Bawburgh? or St. Edmund : Gisleham, Norfolk |
St. Zita : Horley, Oxon |
St. Zita : Shorthampton, Oxon |
Unidentified female saint : Heydon |
The Saints : Intro. & Contents Main Site Contents Page Home Page
20/12/2003