The following list comprises the names of artists which I have been able to collect from public docmiients:—
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William Torel, or rather Torelli. Dymenge de Legeri, called Nicholas Dymenge de Reyns. Odo, a goldsmith. Richard de Crundale. Roger de Crundale. Michael Crundale. Master Alexander de Abyngton, le Imaginator. William de Hibernia.
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Alexander de Hibernia. William the Florentine. John de St. Omers. Robert de Amory, a Florentine. Richard de Stowe. Walter de Durham. William de Suff.' (Suffolk.) John de Pabeham. Adam de Shoreditch. Michael de Canterbury.
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The scantiness of this record of names of artists may be easily understood, if it be considered that the "cementarius," who engaged for the execution of the work, was alone named in the warrant, with one exception only, in which John de Pabeham is termed "socius" with John de Bello, or Battle, and, as the artists were employed under the "cementarius," their names were consequently unnoticed[1].
The productions of Sculpture, during the reign of Edward II., demand little notice; the statue, however, of that prince at Gloucester may be ranked with the good productions of the preceding age.
Until the fourteenth century, the English, as I conceive, had enjoyed few opportunities of cultivating the arts of peace; they must have depended in a great degree on communication with Italy, and, probably, on the alliances of their princes, for many of the arts of civilization. Until the reign of Edward III. we can scarely recognise an independent style of Sculpture in England. The revolution in costume in that prince's reign produced a vast influence on Art; the flowing draperies, and beautiful arrangement of the dresses of females, with the fine chain-mail, which adapted itself to the movements of the figure, and was so favourable to the exhibition of natural forms, were then discarded. The light plate armour introduced by the Italians, and adapted to German taste, together with the less graceful costume of females adopted at that period, checked the advancement of Sculpture, and left little scope for the aspirations of genius. The good principles
- ↑ See the accounts of the executors or administrators of the affairs of the deceased Queen Eleanor, published by Mr. Botfield in the "Illustrations of Household Expenses in England," presented to the Roxburghe Club, and fully noticed in Mr. Hunter's curious paper in the Archæologia, xxix. p. 167.
