The Alabaster Images of Medieval England, 2003, 128 p., 8 ill. coul., 384 n.b., rel. -

The wide appeal of English alabaster carvings in the late Middle Ages is shown by the numerous surviving examples in churches and museums throughout Western Europe. The author has listed some 2500 carvings, with their location and published references, coupled with a Geographical Index. English alabasters are to be found in countries as diverse as Iceland and Croatia, with the greatest concentration in France - our nearest neighbour. This book is a sequel to the work by Francis Cheetham published in 1984, entitled English Medieval Alabasters - with a catalogue of the collection in the Victoria & Albert Museum, and draws upon much information not used in the earlier publication. Particular attention is given to the iconography of the carvings. Extensively illustrated with over 400 photographs, the book will be invaluable to historians, art historians, collectors and dealers. Sixteen pages of colour illustrations show the marble-like surface of the polish alabaster, contrasting with the applied painted colours so characteristic of medieval sculpture. The publication is supported by the Henry Moore Foundation, the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art, the Aurelius Trust and the Association for Cultural Exchange.