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| Edward the Confessor (last of the great Anglo-Saxon kings) directs construction of the Abbey. Drawing by Richard Caton Woodville of Baltimore, Maryland, or his son. |
The abbey church is formally called the Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster.
It is known as Westminster Abbey but is officially neither an abbey nor a cathedral.
Elizabeth I made it a Royal Peculiar in 1560, which means that the church's dean and chapter report directly to the monarch.
Henry III began building the present church in 1245. He selected the site for his burial.
An abbey has existed on the site since around 1060, and the English Congregation of Benedictine monks occupied the area from about 970.
King Edward the Confessor began building an abbey in 1042. On December 28, 1065, the abbey church was consecrated, a week before he died.
His successor Harold II was probably crowned there, but nobody much cares because he wasn't king very long. Harold was defeated and killed by William the Conqueror at Hastings. William was crowned on December 25, 1066 at the abbey.
Since then every English and British monarch has been crowned at the Abbey. Many royal weddings and funerals have been held there. Other notable people buried there include 16 monarchs, eight Prime Ministers and famous writers, actors, scientists and military leaders.
His successor Harold II was probably crowned there, but nobody much cares because he wasn't king very long. Harold was defeated and killed by William the Conqueror at Hastings. William was crowned on December 25, 1066 at the abbey.
Since then every English and British monarch has been crowned at the Abbey. Many royal weddings and funerals have been held there. Other notable people buried there include 16 monarchs, eight Prime Ministers and famous writers, actors, scientists and military leaders.
The Art. The impressive art showing Edward the Confessor directing construction in a manner that might ordinarily be better associated with leading a country into war, is signed by Richard Caton Woodville, although the History Today article that included the article says that the artists is "Unknown". Possibly the artist is Woodville's son, who had the same name and was also an artist and the "Jr." may have been stylized. See
https://www.historytoday.com/archive/consecration-westminster-abbey, retrieved January 4, 2020.
Your blogger has notified History Today that Richard Caton Woodville's name appears in the lower left of the art and he is a distinguished artist from Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore's greatest 19th-century artist, Woodville was from a prominent family in the city. He was probably considered a black sheep for becoming an artist rather than a doctor or businessman, by marrying his first wife against their wishes, and then by divorcing and getting remarried to a fellow artist at the Düsseldorf Arts Academy in Germany, where he studied. He died in London in 1855, at just 30 years old, leaving behind only a few dozen works. His 16 known paintings were in a 2013 exhibition, “New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville,” at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He died of a morphine overdose, and no one knows why, said Joy Peterson Heyrman, who curated the exhibition.
Woodville was survived by his second wife, Antoinette Marie Schnitzler and their two children, one of whom was artist Richard Caton Woodville Jr. He became a famous British battle scene painter. Woodville also fathered two children by his first wife. See the story by Philip Kennicott in the Washington Post, March 8, 2013.
Your blogger has notified History Today that Richard Caton Woodville's name appears in the lower left of the art and he is a distinguished artist from Baltimore, Maryland. Baltimore's greatest 19th-century artist, Woodville was from a prominent family in the city. He was probably considered a black sheep for becoming an artist rather than a doctor or businessman, by marrying his first wife against their wishes, and then by divorcing and getting remarried to a fellow artist at the Düsseldorf Arts Academy in Germany, where he studied. He died in London in 1855, at just 30 years old, leaving behind only a few dozen works. His 16 known paintings were in a 2013 exhibition, “New Eyes on America: The Genius of Richard Caton Woodville,” at the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. He died of a morphine overdose, and no one knows why, said Joy Peterson Heyrman, who curated the exhibition.
Woodville was survived by his second wife, Antoinette Marie Schnitzler and their two children, one of whom was artist Richard Caton Woodville Jr. He became a famous British battle scene painter. Woodville also fathered two children by his first wife. See the story by Philip Kennicott in the Washington Post, March 8, 2013.
