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Henry VIII and the Field of the Cloth of Gold
Thu 2nd Mar 2023 @ 11:30 am - 12:30 pm
Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
In June 1520 the king of France and the king of England met in a field outside Calais to celebrate peace. The celebrations that accompanied this meeting have become known as The Field of Cloth of Gold because of their extravagance and luxury, a magnificence captured in the famous painting at Hampton Court. Textiles, armour, goldsmiths’ work, painting and even a dazzling temporary palace were all called upon to impress the watching world. The diplomatic negotiations were ultimately worthless but for Henry VIII and François I it was a chance to compete for honour and glory. This lecture explores the history and artistry of this magnificent yet arguably futile event.
Lecturer: Dr Gillian White
Dr Gillian White specialises in the history and visual arts of late medieval and sixteenth-century England. After beginning her career at the Warwickshire Museum, she then worked for the National Trust as Curator/Collections Manager at Hardwick Hall, Derbyshire, about which she wrote her PhD at Warwick University. Since that she taught part-time at Leicester University in the Centre for the Study of the Country House and continues to teach History of Art in the Department of Continuing Education at Oxford University and elsewhere.