Ford Madox Brown

Chaucer at the Court of Edward III

1856–68

Image released under Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-ND (3.0 Unported)

License this image

Not on display

Artist: Ford Madox Brown 1821–1893
Medium: Oil paint on canvas
Dimensions: Support: 1232 × 991 mm
frame: 1490 × 1263 × 115 mm
Collection: Tate
Acquisition: Purchased 1906
Reference: N02063

Display caption

This picture is a replica of Ford Madox Brown’s largest and most ambitious painting, exhibited in 1851. It was significant for its portrayal of natural sunlight and was his first attempt ‘to carry out the notion ... of treating the light and shade absolutely, as it exists at any one moment, instead of approximately or in generalized style’. This pursuit of ‘truth to nature’ was consistent with Pre-Raphaelite ideals, as was his careful workmanship. The picture’s subject, Geoffrey Chaucer, reflects the growing popularity with artists of English literature instead of more conventional classical myths and biblical tales.

Gallery label, November 2016

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? We would like to hear from you.

Explore

architecture(30,959)
- features(8,872)
- - battlement(127)
  - terrace(149)
- garden structures(1,939)
- - fountain(177)
- military(6,806)
- - castle(5,612)
- periods and styles(5,198)
- - medieval(2,330)
history(5,785)
- politics and society(2,346)
- - period: Middle Ages(45)
leisure and pastimes(3,433)
- music and entertainment(2,331)
- - recital(23)
literature and fiction(3,139)
- literature (not Shakespeare)(2,277)
- - Chaucer, Geoffrey, ‘Legend of Custance’(1)
objects(23,567)
- clothing and personal items(5,873)
- - armour(107)
  - dress(380)
  - hat(1,438)
  - helmet(272)
  - hood(22)
- food and drink(979)
- - fruit, orange(28)
- furnishings(3,069)
- - lectern(7)
- religious and ceremonial(1,732)
- - crown(88)
  - throne(31)
- weapons(924)
- - shield(89)
  - sword(212)
people(22,059)
- actions: expressive(2,623)
- - talking(602)
- actions: processes and functions(2,160)
- - listening(81)
- adults(20,109)
- - man(10,460)
  - woman(9,107)
- children(2,477)
- - boy(1,153)
  - girl(1,079)
- groups(5,163)
- - crowd(648)
- named individuals(12,874)
- - Chaucer, Geoffrey(5)
  - de Bohun, Lady(1)
  - Edward III, King(2)
  - Edward, Prince of Wales, ‘Black Prince’(4)
  - Froissart, Jean(1)
  - Henry IV, King(1)
  - John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster(1)
  - Kent, Joan, Countess of, ‘Fair Maid of Kent’(1)
  - Margaret, Princess(3)
  - Oxford, Robert de Vere, Earl of(1)
  - Pembroke, Earl of(1)
  - Perrers, Alice(1)
  - Richard II, King(1)
  - Roet, Phillipa(1)
  - Sir John Froissart(1)
  - Thomas of Woodstock, Duke of Gloucester(1)
  - Warwick, Countess of(1)
work and occupations(5,443)
- agriculture and fishing(1,275)
- - ploughing(74)
- arts and entertainment(7,212)
- - jester(7)
  - musician(789)
- literary(264)
- - poet(655)
- religious(408)
- - cardinal(18)
- royalty and social rank(344)
- - aristocrat(1,356)
  - courtier(69)
  - king(115)
  - prince(45)

You might like

Ford Madox Brown Cathy Madox Brown at the Age of Three

1853

View by appointment
Ford Madox Brown Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet

1852–6
Ford Madox Brown Our Lady of Good Children

1847–61
Ford Madox Brown The Last of England

1864–6
Ford Madox Brown Lear and Cordelia

1849–54
Ford Madox Brown Mauvais Sujet

1863
Ford Madox Brown The Brent at Hendon

1854–5
Ford Madox Brown Study for the Dean in the ‘Execution of Mary Queen of Scots’

c.1840
Ford Madox Brown ‘Take your Son, Sir’

?1851–92
Ford Madox Brown Stages of Cruelty

c.1856
Ford Madox Brown Carrying Corn

1854–5
Ford Madox Brown Head of a Girl

date not known
Ford Madox Brown Portrait of Dykes Barry as a Child

1853
Ford Madox Brown Jesus Washing Peter’s Feet

1857–8
Ford Madox Brown The Hayfield

1855–6

In the shop

Browse the shop