A full understanding of art can surely only be achieved by a knowledge of what is being depicted - if, indeed, we are talking about representational imagery. Given that the vast majority of medieval paintings that have survived in Western Europe were religious in function, whether that was for the decoration of churches or for private devotion in the home, it is essential to know who is represented. Roman Catholicism (as it has been known since the Counter Reformation in the 16th Century) has always been profoundly concerned with the lives of the saints. While I know many of you will know many of them, this two-week 'revision' course will remind us all, I hope, who the most important were, how we can identify them, and why they were important. 

The second talk will concentrate on another painting in the National Gallery's collection, The Wilton Diptych. Although far fewer saints are seen in this painting, each is vital for the understanding of the image as a whole - and while the general view would be that there are three saints represented, I will explore a fourth, who is equally - if not more - important. The choices of these saints, and their role within the painting's meaning, helps us to understand the context in which it was created, thus shedding light on the choices made for other paintings. Given time, I will again draw on the National Gallery's unparalleled resources to explain how the original location for which a painting was created is often essential for a full understanding of the people who are represented.