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dashinvaine β William Marshal- Clash of Lions
Published: 2014-03-29 18:20:45 +0000 UTC; Views: 10493; Favourites: 202; Downloads: 230
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I had been meaning to do something based on the great knight William Marshal , Earl of Pembroke, for a while. A recent documentary on Marshal (presented by Dr. Thomas Asbridge, under whom I had the privilege of studying a few years back) finally galvanised me.ΒMarshal became famous as a highly successful competitor in tournaments, but he also saw a fair amount of real action, including on crusade (he carried the heart of prince Henry, the son of Henry II, to the Holy Land, and fought alongside the Templars against the Saracens before returning to Europe.
This is the episode in 1189, where William, defending king Henry II, turns back and unhorses the king's rebellious son Richard (later Richard I 'The Lion Heart'). Later, when Richard became king, he accused Marshall of trying to kill him, which the knight denied, saying 'I have the strength to aim my lance'. (In other words 'if I had tried to kill you, you would be dead'. Marshal remained loyal to the plantagenet dynasty, later defending ensuring that the kingdom or England passed to the young king Henry III (the son of King John), defeating rebel barons and the invading French. Marshal was associated with the Knights Templar, and his tomb effigy (damaged during the Blitz) can still be seen in Temple Church, London.
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Comments: 21
not to nitpick but Richard wasn't armoured, he was so eager to get his father he had jumped on a horse wearing only a gambeson. That is why he begged William Marshal not to kill him, claiming it would be foul play.
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Super awesome! I kind of want to ink and color this...
I also (loosely) based a character in my Fantasy novel on Sir William Marshall.Β
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Great piece of art here. I've been slowly reading Asbridge's biography of Sir William Marshal at a local bookstore. It's a fine piece of history.
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Thanks. Glad you find it so (on both counts).Β
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William Marshal the greatest knight ever.
good workΒ
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Per Sharon Kay Penman's Lionheart (which is an extensively-researched historical fiction about Richard I), Richard wore no armor when he was unhorsed by William Marshal. Marshal was a capable knight and warrior and could have killed Richard easily, but his honor kept him from harming an unarmed opponent. Just the same, he didn't really plan on killing Richard as he was merely trying to waylay him to allow his liege lord Henry II to escape.
Just the same, I so love this illustration. William Marshal and Richard the Lionheart are my favorite medieval personalities. Thank you for this drawing! 
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Richard could have done with wearing full armour more often. He might have lived longer. Thanks for the comment and the information.
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It is the medieval version of Tom Brady vs. Peyton Manning
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Wow, gorgeous! Β I fell for William Marshal when I first read Elizabeth Chadwick's series The Greatest Knight -- which I highly recommend if you haven't already read. Β Nice to see an often overlooked figure get some recognition.
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Another great work from you - the story is quite interesting and I will certainly look for William's effigy next time i visit the Temple church. Thanks for sharing this and for the link to the document. Visiting your gallery can be rewarding on many levels
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There are several William Marshals in Temple Church, since the immediate descendants of the William in question are also there. The one in question is the uppermost one in the thumbnail image, whose head is slightly cut off by the photo, near the lower corner.
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This is a great image of a man whom I discover to be all he's reputed to be. Β GAD. Β Going to draw the scene when he's a child in the sling of the trebuchet? Β Good image, nice sense of action and fury--but I'm sorry for the poor horse. Β Would have been better for a lot of people if Richard had broken his neck.
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That was quite a difficult childhood William had. Still it proves that if something doesn't kill you it makes you stronger. (If that's the level of sentimentalism parents showed in those days then the revolt of the Plantagenet boys against old King Henry becomes more understandable!)
No horses were harmed in the making of this image.Β
And no, I think Richard's later achievements were not to be sniffed at, especially with regard to salvaging and preserving the Latin East.
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Regarding Richard--what might a competent, thoughtful, provident man have accomplished with his resources and opportunities?
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Wow, this is great! Love the sense of flow and movement, and the poses are really beautiful.
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yet if I rightly remember the point was that Richard wore no armour at that time i.e. could easily have been killed ( I think he had rushed in pursuit when he was told part of his army had routed his father's forces in a surprise clash )
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Never heard that one, but I could be wrong... I seem to recall he was not properly clad in armour at the time of his death...
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