Although the seventeenth-century naval administrator and politician, Samuel Pepys (1633 –1703) is best known for his engrossing diaries, he also left a legacy of great importance to stained glass historians. For among the papers he bequeathed to Magdalene College, Cambridge, was a remarkable book of fourteenth- and fifteenth-century drawings, some of which may have formed pattern sheets for medieval glaziers (Pepys Library, Pepys MS 1916). ... Measuring nearly ten by eight inches, the book mainly consists of what were probably originally loose sheets dating from c. 1390 – 1400. ... It is now known as The Pepysian Sketchbook. Featuring the work of more than one artist it includes designs for animals, birds, ornamental motifs and human figures, including angels, the Virgin and what appear to be apostles and prophets. The bird drawings are particularly notable. There are eight sheets. Species include pheasant, rook, peahen, wren, swan, nightingale, lark, woodpecker, crane, cuckoo, spoonbill, falcon, partridge, bullfinch, magpie, kingfisher, bullfinch, landrail, sparrow, robin, eagle, parrot, dove, gull, jay, duck, owl, goose, mallard, and heron. - [Author]

Language: English

1752-0741