Roger Rosewell, who lives near Witney, the author of a definitive guide to medieval wall paintings, has now published a shorter introductory guide, Medieval Wall Paintings (Shire, £7.99). Oxfordshire has one of the richest heritages of such paintings in the country, only bettered by Norfolk, as shown by the number of mentions in the book’s gazeteer. They include St Laurence Church, Combe, photographed by the author and one of several stunning images in the book.
Rosewell demolishes myths about the paintings, in particular that they represent Bible storytelling for illiterate churchgoers. He points out that many of the images are not of Bible stories and that they are meaningless unless you know the stories already. He believes they had several roles, including decoration, worship and contemplation.
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