"THE WHITTINGTON INAMORATA"
29th August 2018 by Whittington Castle
A fairy tale Castle, ivy clad ruined walls, medieval moat complete with majestic swans and a twin towered gatehouse entrance are the iconic features of Whittington Castle. Since the restoration of the Castle the Lady Eleanor Function Room – the romantic setting for the Civil Ceremonies at the Castle has been missing a key element – a wall hanging which depicts this romantic ruin and its myths and history. Legend tells us that the Holy Grail may once have been hidden at the Castle and it has a fascinating history of the romance of the Fulk Fitzwarine once outlawed by King John – details of his exploits feature in an epic poem. Whittington Castle Preservation Trust commissioned Sarah Lacon to produce a piece of work which would incorporate all these elements and Sarah has produced "The Whittington Inamorata", a knight in shining armour declaring unconditional love for his lady, utilizing the castle's history as a backdrop. Chairman Paul Jones says "We are absolutely thrilled with the end result, it is vibrant and perfect for our Lady Eleanor Function Room. It will be housed in this room – where weddings, meetings, birthday parties take place and will be seen by a great many people" The Whittington Inamorata will be hung in the room shortly and is the ideal addition to the Castle.
Miss Sarah Lacon – Artist
Living locally in Weston Rhyn – Sarah has a degree in art illustration.
Her most recent work is the Arriva Bus (route 405 in Oswestry), which
depicts landmarks and culture from in and around the local area –
Whittington Castle being a key feature on the Shropshire side of the
bus, alongside "Oswald's Tree".
Having a keen interest in history – particularly in the Middle Ages Sarah
deemed it a great honour to be asked and is thrilled that so many visitors
and wedding couples will get to see her work.
Painted on canvas, The Whittington Inamorata is inspired by Gothic and
bawdy humour of illuminated manuscripts, depicting "A Knight in shining
armour" declaring his love for his lady using the castle as a backdrop.
Surrounded by nonsensical creatures, plant lore and allegorical imagery
of romance; this a a multilayered illustration that can be interpreted in
different ways. Images to look out for include 'The Green Man', a music
playing rabbit, Whittington's swans, and honey bees escaping from their
hive to fly all over the painting. It took many hours to produce.
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