Tom--I agree-this seems distinctly US late 19th century.I teach both Italian
Renaissance art and American art and I hear from my students every semester
on the same subject. It has no relationship to Renaissance or Baroque
equestrians but does seem to hold for the Civil War types. sharon
>From: Thomas Izbicki <[log in to unmask]>
>Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
>To: [log in to unmask]
>CC: Anna Sander <[log in to unmask]>
>Subject: Re: effigies
>Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1999 14:35:49 -0500 (EST)
>
>John,
>I think that may be a variant of a US usage. At least at Gettysburg, a
>horse with one leg raised means the rider was wounded; two means he
>- the rider - died on the field.
>Tom Izbicki
>
>
>
>On Fri, 3 Dec 1999, John Carmi Parsons wrote:
>
> > Date: Fri, 03 Dec 1999 12:03:44 -0500
> > From: John Carmi Parsons <[log in to unmask]>
> > Reply-To: [log in to unmask]
> > To: Anna Sander <[log in to unmask]>
> > Cc: [log in to unmask]
> > Subject: Re: effigies
> >
> > There's also an old canard that it's possible to tell from an equestrian
> > statue whether its rider was ever wounded in battle: if the horse has
>one
> > leg raised the rider was wounded once, two legs he was wounded more than
>once,
> > three legs he died in battle. Pure nonsense; the simple fact is that a
>statue
> > of a horse with all four legs on the ground is static and boring so at
>least
> > one leg is always shown raised. Similarly it used to be thought that
>knightly
> > effigies with crossed legs represented crusaders but this has now been
> > discounted as antiquarian imagination. So I'd have reservations about
>whether
> > animals could represent crusading status any more than they represent
>battle
> > scars.
> >
> > John P.
> >
> >
> > On Fri, 3 Dec 1999, Anna Sander wrote:
> >
> > > Dear Jim,
> > >
> > > The consensus from the DPhil workroom here is that a dog under the
>feet
> > > of a knight's tomb effigy means he died at home, and a lion means he
> > > died on the Crusades. (!) The consensus is also that there isn't a
> > > documented meaning, which means that this is a guess. A dog under the
> > > feet of somebody's wife's effigy, however, indicates fidelity, as per
> > > another answer.
> > >
> > > Anna Sander
> > > Centre for Medieval Studies, York
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Jim Kerbaugh wrote:
> > > >
> > > > Dear Listmembers,
> > > >
> > > > Last week I led a group of American undergraduates on a tour of
> > > > cathedrals & castles in the UK. At Salisbury, one of my students
> > > > asked if the dog at the feet of knights on tomb effigies meant
> > > > anything. Being <indifferent honest,> I said yes, but I've
>forgotten
> > > > what. I've been searching my bookshelves all week without any luck,
> > > > so I'd be eternally grateful for the information. I solemnly
>promise
> > > > not to forget again.
> > > >
> > > > Desperately yours,
> > > > Jim Kerbaugh
> >
>
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