'Medieval Imaginations' provides a database of images to enable you to explore the interface between the literature and visual culture of medieval England. It has been compiled to provide images corresponding to the main episodes dramatized in the English Mystery Plays, because these present the medieval view of human history from the Creation to the Last Judgement. These biblical stories, and images related to them, would have been instantly recognisable to a medieval audience.
The images are mostly of English origin and from the later Middle Ages, with an emphasis on material from East Anglia, one of medieval England's most dynamic regions. Images have been selected to represent the rich diversity of artistic forms and media, including painting, stained glass, alabaster, textiles, and sculpture. Images were the books of all those who could not read in the Middle Ages, and through 'Medieval Imaginations' you can reconstruct something of the visual culture that once surrounded medieval people and gave meaning to their world.
The images are arranged chronologically, and are mainly grouped within the episodes of the Mystery Plays. There are a few exceptions to this. There are, for example, images grouped under the headings of 'Borders and Margins', 'Bestiaries', or 'Saints'. These categories are included to give some indication of the general illustrative framework in which medieval artists worked and of the subject matter that would be familiar to their audiences.
For each image a number of keywords are given, as well as a suggestion for further reading. A list of all the keywords used on the site and a full list of further reading are available under the 'references' section. You will find there is a full list of episode titles used on the site linked from the 'references' section, as well.
Should you need further assistance in using the site, e.g. help with searching or navigation, please visit the Medieval Imaginations help page.