Image: ArundelTomb1

Description: The 14th-century memorial effigy in Chichester Cathedral which inspired Larkin's poem "An Arundel Tomb" (Note: The effigies in Chichester Cathedral are attributed to Richard FitzAlan and Eleanor of Lancaster. FitzAlan and Eleanor were actually buried in Lewes Priory. Although Larkin called the effigies a "tomb", they are actually a "memorial". See Talk, Distinction needs to be made: Not a "tomb" but a "memorial".) The plaque in the cathedral reads as follows: An Arundel Tomb The figures represent Richard Fitzalan III, 13th Earl of Arundel (ca 1307-1376) and his second wife Eleanor, who by his will of 1375 were to be buried together "without pomp" in the chapter house of Lewes Priory. The armour and dress suggest a date near 1375; the knight's attitude is typical of that time, but the lady's crossed legs, giving the effect of a turn towards her husband, are rare. The joined hands have been thought due to "restoration" by Edward Richardson (1812-69), but recent research has shown the feature to be original. If so, the monument must be one of the earliest showing the concession to affection where the husband was a knight rather than a civilian.
Title: ArundelTomb1
Credit: Own work (Original text: I created this work entirely by myself.)
Author: Nabokov (talk). Required citation is: "Photo by Tom Oates".
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License: CC BY-SA 3.0
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Attribution Required?: Yes