John McCafferty

After the longest and the most anxiously painful writing block in decades, I managed to get a few hundred words down on paper this morning.

Virgin Suckling the Child Netherlandish, possibly Antwerp c. 1520 Although originally produced in great quantity, surviving paintings in tempera on linen from this period are quite rare. (Met Museum)

Tuesday 27 Oct, Dublin

25 Oct 1648: On the Isle of Wight, Brian Duppa, Bishop of #Salisbury preaches before Charles I #otd (CCO) 'The soul's soliloquy and a conference with conscience'

25 Oct 1657: Luke Wadding of #Waterford #Franciscan writer & founder of two #Irish colleges in #Rome becomes ill #otd after a chilling caused by attending a #Spanish funeral sermon at Ara Coeli #Rome. He d. on 18 Nov 1657.

Two Studies of a Nun, Vincenzo Dandini, 1671 (British Museum)

25 Oct 1641: the #Irish Privy Council writes #otd to the Earl of #Leicester, Lord Lieutenant, then in England #otd reporting outbreak of rebellion in Ireland - mostly in #Ulster #otd Read eyewitness accounts in the 1641 Depositions series from @irishmanuscripts.bsky.social

Panel of wood (probably pine) painted in tempera, with a hare amongst scrolls and flowers; Spain, ca. 1400 (V&A Museum, London)

Portrait of a Lady c. 1577-1580 Attributed to El Greco (Domenikos Theotokopoulos) (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

25 Oct 1551: John Ponet Bishop of #Winchester marries Mary Hayman #otd he having previously been in a bigamous state (eebo)

The Three Brothers Browne, by Isaac Oliver, signed and dated 1598. Anthony Maria, later 2nd Viscount Montague (1574-1629), flanked by his younger brothers John and William & an unidentified gentleman to their left. (Burghley House Collections)

25 Oct 1514: d. Bishop William Elphinstone #otd in #Edinburgh, the founder of #Aberdeen University (SHowe)

Panel of wood (probably pine) with polychrome decoration in tempera, including an elephant Spain, c. 1400

25 Oct 1647: d. Evangelista Torricelli, physicist and mathematician, student of Galileo #otd in Florence. Best known for his invention of the barometer.

25 Oct 1574: b. François d'Escoubleau de Sourdis future Archbishop of Bordeaux and co-founder of the Irish College there in 1603. He died 8 Feb 1628. (bust by Bernini, photo by Symac, Aquitaine Museum)

A Spanish Cushion 1600s Silk velvet, silk satin appliqué, silk embroidery, galloon, tassels. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

A Cat with a Mouse Cornelis Bloemaert 1625 (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Holy Card with St. Clare of Assisi 1680s? Jan Baptist de Wael, 1632–1697. (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

A whale from c. 1560 - 1585 (Rijksmuseum)

A whale from c. 1560 - 1585 (Rijksmuseum)

Chess & backgammon game board, 17thC Possibly made in Königsberg Amber, ivory, brass, ebony.

Fragment of a wood-block print on linen. Egypt, Mamluk period, 1200s-1300s. (The Cleveland Museum of Art)

25 Oct 1415: Henry V finds victory at the battle of Agincourt #otd

Men Digging and Constructing a Wall Pietro da Cortona aka Pietro Berrettini, 1 Nov 1596 - 16 May 1669. (Met Museum)

Gorget (for the neck ), from an Armour Garniture of Philip II of Austria, later ruled as king of Spain. c. 1548-1550 Attributed to Desiderius Helmschmid, active in Augsburg (Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Portrait of M. Quatrehomme du Lys, By Charles Le Brun, 1657 (The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles)

Portrait of a Young Woman, aged 17 at time of sitting. Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger. Dated 1540-45. Attempts to identify her as Catherine Howard have not been definitive. Her clothes suggest high rank though. (Met Museum)

Saints of 25, 26, 27 Oct 17th century French calendar St Chrysanthus St Daria St Crispin St Crispinian Pope St Evaristus St Frumentius (British Museum)

Alabaster panel of the Adoration of the Magi England, 15th century (British Museum)

'Betwixt a subtile Priest & cursed Wife / I'm plagu'd for my transgression / The two great Follyes of my Life / Is Marriage & Confession.' c. 1681-1688 As we put in exam questions: 'discuss'. (British Museum)

25 Oct 1529: Thomas More replaces Thomas Wolsey as Chancellor of England #otd

25 Oct 1586: The trial of Mary Queen of #Scots is moved to #Westminster Palace from Fotheringhay #otd

25 Oct 1671: Margaret Fell holds the first Swarthmoor Quaker Women's monthly meeting #otd (BM)

25 Oct: feast of St John Houghton, the prior of #London charterhouse. Executed for refusal to take Supremacy Oath, May 1535.

25 Oct feast of St Crispin and St Crispinian #otd Twin martyrs of the late 3rd century (British Museum)

A mid 17thC view of Hildegard of Bingen Illustration to Thomas Fuller's "The Holy State" (Cambridge: John Williams, 1642), p. 40. (British Museum)

The will Flemish emblem book, 1685-1686 (BM)

25 Oct 1602: Funeral of William Perkins lastlingly influential theologian #otd at #Cambridge, James Montagu's funeral sermon used the text Joshua 1:2 'Moses my servant is dead'

Abdication of Charles V #otd 25 Oct 1555 Philip II kneels before his father, Emperor Charles V, in the presence of the Estates of the Netherlands. Charles V resigned Spain 16 Jan 1556. (British Museum)

St. Martina patron of #Rome. Her relics were discovered #otd 25 Oct 1634 by the painter Pietro da Cortona, in a crypt of Santi Luca e Martina. (El Greco - she’s on the left with the palm)

Frau Maria Martha Besserin, b. 2 Feb 1634, d. #otd 25 Oct 1672 By Jacob von Sandrart, 1672. (British Museum)

25 Oct 1970: Pope Paul VI canonizes Edmund Campion SJ, who was executed in London on 1 Dec 1581

Head of Pope Urban VIII (Maffeo Vincenzo Barberini) Attributed to Pietro Locatelli 1669–70 (Met Museum)

All you want to know about conveyancing is to be found here. The top centre image is that of Edward Coke who became Lord Chief Justice of King's Bench #otd 25 Oct 1613. (British Museum)

Portrait of a Woman, possibly Elizabeth Boothby, 1619. Cornelis Jonson (called Jonson van Ceulen) (The Cleveland Museum of Art)

Sunday 25 Oct, Dublin

Man Writing a Letter, 1662-65 Woman Reading a Letter, 1665 Gabriel Metsu (Two jewels from the National Gallery of Ireland #Dublin ) Metsu was buried #otd 24 Oct 1667 in the Nieuwe Kerk #Amsterdam.

This day two years ago: On my way to see what’s new in the bookshop

This is the earliest-known hallmarked silver fork made in an English workshop. On the back of the handle are the maker's mark (spoon-maker Richard Crosse), silver quality approved by the London assay office, 1632-3. (V&A Museum, London)

Annunciation - Mary and Archangel Gabriel. Styria Austrian c. 1390 (Met Museum)