The Painters of Late Medieval London and Westminster

The painters of late medieval London and Westminster by SONJA DRIMMER THE SUBJECT OF the painter in fifteenth-century London is one in Westminster. The following appendix is not exhaustive, but that has not been deeply studied and ‘much of the early history is the most comprehensive attempt to date to aggregate infor- of the painting trade in London remains obscure’.1Almost mation about these artists, much of which comes from unpub- seventy years ago, John H. Harvey published the names and lished sources. activities of several painters working in London during the The first observation that can be drawn from this data is that fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, and not long after E.W. there is no apparent overlap between individuals who worked Tristram compiled a list of painters who worked in various in the manuscripts trade and those who participated in the oth- parts of England during the fourteenth century.2 In contrast er visual arts in London during the later fourteenth and fif- to the paucity of work on the late medieval period, the iden- teenth centuries.6 This point may seem obvious, and indeed it tities, working practices, materials and products of painters in was anticipated both by Paul Binski’s observation that ‘painters the Tudor and Jacobean eras have been studied extensively,3 were usually not illuminators’ and C. Paul Christianson’s de- and the names and biographies of painters working throughout cision to omit painters from his Directory of Stationers and Book England between 1500 and 1640 have been compiled by Rob- Artisans.7 However, the distinction between those who were ert Tittler and Edward Town.4 This article supplements these described as painters (‘pictor’ in Latin and variations on ‘payn- labours by documenting the names of over ninety London tour’ in Middle English) and those who were classified as illu- painters who worked within the years 1376 to 1509.5 1376 is a minators (‘limner’ in Middle English) can at times be unclear useful starting date because a document from that year records in modern scholaship. Gilbert Prince and William Larke as Common Councillors of This finding distinguishes working practice in London from the Painters’ Company, evidence of the painters’ increasingly working practice in France and the Low Countries, where professional organisation. Concluding with the end of Hen- illuminators and panel painters could be one and the same.8 ry VII’s reign in 1509 is a matter of practicality, since various Evidence for the isolated remits of painters and illuminators printed primary sources, such as the calendars of chancery rolls, in London is found in commissions: all of those that required are arranged according to monarch. The ‘professional painters’ the services of a limner ask that he illuminate a manuscript, considered here are those who are identified in legal and civic roll or a support that functions similarly to a manuscript;9 all records, written both in Middle English and in Latin, as having commissions that required the services of a painter ask that he the profession of painter, or individuals who were paid for work or she apply paint to walls, textiles, statues, panels (including that is specifically referred to as painting. This includes painters commercial signboards) or ephemera produced for celebratory who are named in documents as citizens of London, who were occasions such as ceremonial entries. There is no evidence of paid to conduct work within the City of London’s civic bound- the same individual receiving commissions to both illuminate aries or received royal commissions and appear to have worked and paint. I am grateful to the Bibliographical Society of America for supporting my re- and after the fifteenth century. For example, Alan Strayler referred to himself as search, and to the librarians and archivists of London Metropolitan Archives, the ‘pictor’ responsible for the illumination in the Benefactors’ Book of St Albans Ab- Guildhall Library, the National Archives and the Institute for Historical Research bey (British Library, London, Cotton MS Nero D vii), which he executed c.1380, for sharing their knowledge and expertise. I would also like to thank Chris Twy- see K.L. Scott: Later Gothic Manuscripts, London 1996, II, no. 82. In cities such as man, clerk of the Worshipful Company of Painter-Stainers, Nigel Ramsay for Chester and Norwich, painters were allied in guilds with members of other crafts; offering suggestions on an earlier version of this paper and for sharing his vast see R. Marks: ‘Window glass’, in J. Blair and N. Ramsay, eds.: English Medieval knowledge and erudition with me, and the anonymous reviewer for invaluable Industries, London 2001, p.277. feedback. Finally, my thanks to Sarah Peverley for her encouragement and friend- 7 P. Binski: Medieval Craftsmen: Painters, London 1991, p.15; C.P. Christianson: ly advice. Any errors or infelicities are my own. A Directory of London Stationers and Book Artisans, 1300–1500, New York 1990; 1 A. Borg: The History of the Worshipful Company of Painters, Otherwise Paint- and idem: ‘Evidence for the Study of London’s Late Medieval Manuscript-Book er-Stainers, Huddersfield 2005, p.18. Trade’, in J. Griffiths and D. Pearsall, eds.: Book Production and Publishing in Britain, 2 J.H. Harvey: ‘Some London painters of the 14th and 15th Centuries’, the burl- 1375–1475, Cambridge 1989, pp.87–108. ington magazine 89 (1947), pp.303–05; E.W. Tristram: English Wall Painting of the 8 See T. Kren: ‘From Panel to Parchment and Back: Painters as Illuminators be- 14th Century, London 1955, pp.288–92. fore 1470’, in idem and S. McKendrick, eds.: exh. cat. Illuminating the Renaissance: 3 T. Cooper, A. Burnstock, M. Howard and E. Town, eds.: Painting in Britain The Triumph of Flemish Manuscript Painting in Europe, London (Royal Academy) 1500–1630: Production, Influences and Patronage, Oxford 2015. and Los Angeles (J. Paul Getty Museum) 2003–04, pp.81–82. 4 E. Town: ‘A Biographical Dictionary of London Painters, 1547–1625’, Walpole 9 The only receipt that would fit in this latter category dates from sometime Society 76 (2014), pp.1–235; and R. Tittler: Early Modern British Painters Database, after 1424, when the Master of the Brewers’ Company paid two pence to a c.1500–1640, 4th ed. 2017, available online: http://spectrum.library.concordia. ‘lomyno[ur]’ for gilding the letters of the Company’s brothers and sisters, which ca/980096/, accessed 28th April 2017. See also E. Town: ‘“A Good Eye and Stead- had been written on a wooden panel (‘estrich bordes’) by a textwriter (Brewers’ fast Hand”: Painting in London 1547–1625’, in Cooper, Burnstock, Howard and Company Masters’ Accounts, Guildhall Library, London, MS 5440, fol.102v). It Town op. cit. (note 3), pp.252–61. is possible that these names were written on parchment and then laid on wooden 5 All dates recorded here are regularised according to the New Style. panels, as was done at St Mary at Hill; see H. Littlehales: The Medieval Records of a 6 The situation appears to have differed in other cities in England, both before London City Church – St Mary at Hill, 1420–1559, London 1905, repr. 1975, p.132. t h e b u r l i n g t o n m a g a z i n e • c l i x • j u n e 2017 445 LAY_DRIMMER_LateMedievalLondon_v2.indd 445 18/05/2017 09:36 PAINTERS IN LATE MEDIEVAL LONDON The fact that painters worked in all media except on manu- Serle are well known as the King’s Painters in the reigns of scripts is significant because the Painters’ Company appears to Richard II and Henry VII, respectively. Yet there were cer- have been a loosely regulated organisation before 1466, when tainly others employed by the court who adorned the walls and it presented to the Mayor of London ordinances to strength- furnishings of the kings’ residences, and who even did ‘down- en its control over its members.10 t I was, therefore, possible for right house-painting’.16 Finally, both civic bodies and royal much of the fifteenth century for them to work in a variety patrons commissioned many works of art to celebrate or com- of media, which they did and which was a frequent source memorate people or events. This category includes the painting of contention between the Painters’ and other companies: as of ephemera for pageants and processions, which are some of Alan Borg notes, members of the Painters’ Company ‘seem to the most detailed commissions that survive. Thomas Daunt, have been prepared to work on all types of material, oblivious for example, was paid £8 by the wardens of London Bridge of any boundary between painting and staining’.11 n oI fact, s for painting images on the bridge for the entry of Catherine habitual were painters’ forays into staining textiles that, in 1502, of Valois, wife of Henry V, in 1421.17 The same Thomas Daunt the Painters’ and the Stainers’ companies merged. This is not in 1435 was awarded £19 by the exchequer ‘for 300 shields, to say that painters and illuminators never consorted: they may with the arms of the Duke of Bedford, deceased, made for the have shared materials or expertise. Richard Wylde, the ‘peyn- exequies and funeral of the said Duke [. .] and for six banners tour’ charged with ‘new peyntyng of seynt lukes chapell [in of the said arms [. .] to place on the hearse aforesaid’.18 t I may the parish church of St Nicholas Shambles] to taske’ for 16s. be that the collaboration of painters and stainers for events such 8d. in 1481, for example, rented a tenement between 1472 and as these prompted their merger in 1502.

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