The Freelance History Writer is pleased to welcome Graham Turner as a guest with an article on his research on the Wars of the Roses. Graham Turner has been painting professionally since 1984, developing an early fascination with history into the central theme of his artistic career. The meticulous research that underpins each of his paintings led to his participation in the medieval sport of jousting for several years, his personal experiences with horses and armor providing him with an even deeper understanding of his subject matter that vividly comes across in his work. His new book The Wars of the Roses: The Medieval Art of Graham Turner is now available from Osprey Publishing.  

Although I have provided paintings for many books, The Wars of the Roses is my first as an author, evolving from my passion for this fascinating period of history that first captured my imagination 30 years ago and has been central to my life and career ever since.

My first steps down the route that has now resulted in this book were a few canvases inspired by Arthurian legend, but that quickly changed as I read more about the Wars of the Roses and began to appreciate that real history was so much more interesting than anything you could make up. A visit to the battlefield at Bosworth in 1994 provided my epiphany; in my mind’s eye I could vividly see Richard III leading his knights in their thunderous charge across the landscape, and the resulting large oil painting was unveiled at the Bosworth Battlefield Visitor Centre on 22 August 1995, the anniversary of the battle.

Over the years since then I have created many more paintings of significant moments from the period, the research for each one gradually adding to my own knowledge and understanding. My quest even led me into the world of historical jousting for a number of years, an amazing experience that gave me a practical insight into my subject matter, along with memories I will always cherish.

Having historically accurate armour skilfully made for me taught me a huge amount about how armour works, while undertaking the extensive training to make wearing it (almost) natural gave me an understanding of what you can and can’t do in it. My greatest reward came when I trained my own horse Magic, the two of us building an incredibly close partnership that saw us win the Queen’s Golden Jubilee Trophy at the Royal Armouries in 2010, the definite highlight of my jousting career.

Many years after finding my particular niche and establishing a reputation for my paintings amongst historians and enthusiasts, it was suggested that I should perhaps create a book, and although finding the time for such an undertaking was not going to be easy, I finally agreed this was something I really wanted to do. I initially assumed someone else would write the text but was persuaded that I was best placed to write about the subject I had studied and painted for so long.

Despite this being rather daunting and turning out to be considerably more time consuming than I ever imagined, I thoroughly enjoyed the process and found myself completely absorbed as the book took shape. Although I had already created enough paintings to provide a central core for the book, I soon realised there were many subjects I had yet to tackle, not just major battles and campaigns, but scenes that help tell the human stories behind the events. As a result, the book contains over 120 of my paintings and drawings, supplemented by photos of manuscript paintings, letters, armour, historical sites etc.

The Wars of the Roses is such a colourful period of history, with a compelling cast of varied, recognisable characters navigating their way through a narrative of such twists, turns and reversals of fortune, but on first acquaintance it can appear impenetrably complex. I wanted my book to provide a clear narrative, while also having plenty to offer those already familiar with the subject and include information about other aspects of the period that help bring to life the people who lived their lives through it all.

I have tried to base my text on primary sources rather than repeat the conclusions others have reached in the past. Histories can sometimes reflect the prejudices of their own age rather than provide an unbiased account, and these distorted versions of the past, often repeated, have coloured our perception of events and the people involved. The contemporary chronicles provide much information about the events the writers had either experienced or had heard about – an important distinction – and they make fascinating reading.

An English Chronicle tells us that before the Battle of Mortimer’s Cross ‘were seen iij sonnys in the fyrmament shynyng fulle clere, whereof the people hade grete mervayle, and therof were agast.. ‘, the three suns mentioned being a meteorological phenomenon called a parhelion, caused when ice crystals refract the sun’s light. Another favourite quote of mine comes from the somewhat biased official account of Edward IV’s 1471 campaign to reclaim the throne, which describes him in the thick of the action at the Battle of Barnet – ‘for the Kynge… mannly, vigorowsly, and valiantly assayled them, in the midst and strongest of theyre battaile, where he, with great violence, bett and bare down afore hym all that stode in hys way’.

Written English was evolving at the time, and despite the inconsistent spelling and grammar I believe that reading our ancestors’ words as they were originally written helps bring us closer to them and their experiences. Letters, such as the well-known correspondence of the Paston family, provide a very personal connection to the writers; how can you not be moved by these words penned by Sir John Paston four days after the Battle of Barnet: ‘Moodre [mother], I recomande me to yow, letyng yow wette [know] that, blyssed be God, my brother John is a lyffe [alive] and farethe well, and in no perell off dethe. Never the lesse he is hurt with an arow on hys ryght arme, be nethe [beneath] the elbow; and I have sent hym a serjon [surgeon], whyche hathe dressid hym, and he tellythe me that he trustythe that he schall be all holl [whole, i.e. healed] with in ryght schort tyme.’

The younger John followed this letter with his own to their mother later that month, reassuring her that he was almost recovered: ‘…I thank God I am hole of my syknesse, and trust to be clene hole of all my hurttys within a sevennyght at the ferthest…’, but begging for funds because of the cost of his treatment; ‘I beseche you, and ye may spare eny money… and send me some in as hasty wyse as is possybyll’.

This book has allowed me to share my passion for the Wars of the Roses with a wider audience than those already familiar with my paintings, and I hope that my efforts will help others understand this fascinating period in our history and perhaps look at our past with a greater appreciation of how it has helped shape the world we now live in, along with making a connection with our ancestors who lived through these tumultuous times.

My book is widely available, and I am offering signed copies through my website – www.studio88.co.uk – where more information about my work can be found, along with details of original paintings, prints and cards.