Rosslyn Chapel is an idiosyncratic late medieval collegiate church in Midlothian, Scotland. The building is unusually ornate and has survived remarkably well. Both its exterior and interior are marked by an extraordinary level of surface ornament, which includes a variety of figural sculpture. Despite these surviving visual riches, and in contrast to the majority of comparable institutions, Rosslyn has no surviving tomb commemorating its founder, Sir William Sinclair.
In this paper, Lizzie examines this apparent omission by exploring the macabre images which make up a significant part of Rosslyn’s superabundant sculpture. She shows that representations of death and dying are concentrated in particular spaces within the church. In particular, she analyses images of the Ages of Man, the Dance of Death, and the Three Living and the Three Dead. Using their iconography and their placement within Rosslyn’s topography she reimagines the commemorative functions which the church once fulfilled, and reveals the probable site of the tomb of William Sinclair.
Chaired by Dr Harriet Mahood as part of the BAA sponsored panels for the IMC 2020.
