CFP: Voices from the grave – the political function of church monuments from the 13th to 16th century (Leeds 2015)

Call for Papers:
Voices from the grave – the political function of church monuments from the 13th to 16th century
International Medieval Conference, University of Leeds, 6-9 July 2015
Deadline: 15 September 2014

Sponsors: University of Nottingham and University of Amsterdam
Notwithstanding their religious significance, in recent years scholarly attention has increasingly been drawn to the secular and political function of church monuments during the Middle Ages. The location of a tomb, its iconographical content or its stylistic composition could be used to convey a variety of explicit – or indeed implicit – political messages: a statement of solidarity; a marker of group or individual identity; a statement of national or dynastic pride; or a reconstruction of elements of the life of the commemorated.

This session welcomes contributions which focus on any aspect of the political function and utility of church monuments across Europe from the thirteenth to sixteenth centuries. Proposals in the form of short abstracts (up to 300 words) are invited for papers of a maximum 20 minutes in length. They can be sent to Sanne Frequin (s.frequin@uva.nl) or Matt Ward (matthew.ward@nottingham.ac.uk) before 15th September 2014. The organizers will announce all decisions about papers by 22nd September 2014.