As we walked through the York Minster Cathedral, out of the corner of our eye we caught sight of something that made us have a “What in the world?” sort of moment. It was the shrine of a bishop. Every cathedral has them: you can hardly turn around without bumping into another one. They’re usually ornate depictions of the bishop in regal eternal repose, often with their crozier, always with their mitre (hat) to clearly indicate their status. Some even have objects of affection from their lives, like pets, or clues as to the great works they achieved during their bishopric.
What caught our eye on this bishop’s shrine was the way in which he is reclined: not in eternal repose, not even in any sort of repose, but instead in a lounging position. We’ve seen sculptures in this position before, but they’re usually nude women having just taken a bath or waiting for their lover to come seduce them.
Now what’s really odd is that the York Minster has not one, not two, but three such reclining bishop shrines. Our theory is that for a few dozen years, it was all the style and rage for people, even bishops, to be depicted for eternity in such a relaxed, casual way.
Or maybe these three bishops just didn’t want to be known for eternity as regal and unapproachable.
