'Gilded tombs do worms enfold': precious-metal effigies in medieval Europe

Join us for this sparkling lecture!

Shakespeare's line from The Merchant of Venice (Act II, Scene 7) refers to the types of tomb monument that were once found across medieval and renaissance Europe: tombs featuring effigies made of bronze (more correctly: copper alloy) or silver, and often gilded. Surviving examples are unfortunately rare but antiquarian evidence provides us with a glimpse of the former splendour of lost as well as extant tombs. This lecture will discuss the materiality, history and meaning of these 'gilded tombs'.

Dr Sophie Oosterwijk FSA was born in Gouda (Netherlands) and obtained an MA and PhD in English Literature at Leiden University, an MA in Medieval Studies at York and a PhD in Art History at Leicester. She previously taught at the universities of St Andrews, Leicester and Manchester, and worked as a researcher at Utrecht University, and is now a free-lance researcher and lecturer for various organisations. Sophie has published widely, especially on medieval tomb monuments and the Dance of Death. She has long been an active member of the Church Monuments Society, including many years as Editor of the journal Church Monuments and now as one of its Vice Presidents.