Reliekschrijn van Eduard de Belijder in de Westminster Abbey 1855 - 1856

Louis Jules Arnout created this print of the Reliquary of Edward the Confessor in Westminster Abbey in the 19th century. Arnout’s somber lithograph captures the architectural grandeur of the Abbey while also evoking the intense personal and political drama that has played out in this space. Consider the significance of Westminster Abbey as a site of royal coronations, weddings, and burials, functioning as a symbolic representation of English identity and power. Edward the Confessor, canonized as a saint in the 12th century, was known for his piety and is often depicted as a symbol of justice and good governance. What does it mean to create a reliquary for a king who embodied both spiritual and temporal authority? What power dynamics are in play? Arnout's print invites us to think about how historical narratives and cultural memories are constructed and preserved through both architecture and art.