Anthony Wood has given us, along with a detailed description of the carvings, the sad story of the shabby treatment which this magnificent spectacle received at the King’s hands.” ‘The effigies of King James’ he writes’ was cut very curiously in stone, sitting in a throne and giving with his right hand a book to the picture or emblem of Fame, with this prescription on the cm·er: Haec habeo, quae scripsi’, with his left hand he reachetll out another book to our mother, the University of Oxford, represented in effigy kne.ling to the King with this inscription’ Haec haebo quae dedi’, On the verge of the canopy over the throne and the King’s head, which is also most admirably cut in stone, is his motto • Beati pacifici ” over that also are the emblems of Justice, Peace and Plenty and underneath all this an inscription in golden letters: Regnante D. Jacobo, regum doctissimo, munificentissimo, optimo hae musis extractae moles, congesta bibliotheca et quaecumque adhuc deerant ad splendorem Academicae felicita tentata, coepta, absoluta, soli deo gloria, all which pictures and emblems were at first with great cost and splendour double gilt, but when King James came from Woodstock to see the quadrangular pile he commanded them (being so glorious and splendid that none, especially when the sun shined, could behold them) to be whitened over and adorned with ordinary colours, which hath since so continued’ .4′
It was indeed unfortunate that His Majesty first saw the statues in the dazzling brightness of an August afternoon, but it is doubtful if such gaudy city taste would have proved acceptable to him, even in more favourable circumstances, for John de Critz, the King’s painter, had some years previously set on foot a fashion for the more sober hues which were then current in fashionable Court circles.4′*
*The Building of the Tower of Five Orders III the Schools’ quadrangle at Oxford
i guess that you just can’t please all of the kings Cherie… great shot of the sculptures….peter:)
I guess Kings in charge can be as grumpy as they like
Always good to hear a story about a picture like this, Cherie
I found it interesting and thought I would share it
So ornate and beautiful.
That sculpture is incredible! On my grandad’s farm in England we had 2 statues in the garden. It was amazing that out of concrete the artist was able to make the woman’s sheer dress seems gauzy and light as feather.
Stonemasons are skilled craftsmen
Lots of work has gone into that, a well respected and famous King. Well done for spotting it.
It was one of the details in the Bodleian Library quadrangle and was pointed out to us by the guide who took us around the library.