Friar Tuck and the Black Knight (watercolour and bodycolour on paper on card)

This is a scene from Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe: A Romance (1820). The Black Knight (King Richard I in disguise) is wandering through the forest when he comes on the hermitage of the friar of Fountain's Abbey, who is Friar Tuck of Robin Hood's band. They drink and sing a song together. Henry Liverseege was a Manchester artist who specialised in subjects from folklore and stories by Scott and Shakespeare. 19th century romantic idea of Medieval period. Shows jolly monk drinking ale. A knight still wearing part of his armour and cradling his sword is pouring beer into his own cup. The cups seem to be metal, or animal horn with a metal rim. Knight's breastplate hanging from a hook on the wall. Interior of a barn - saddle on loft edge. Knight's horse improbably crowded standing behind him in stable in ancient barn stone building - fire burns on right. Niche behind monk is old book in tattered bindings and hourglass, against which is leaning a crucifix. Decorated stonework forms a hayloft, knight's horse standing improbably close behind him enormous quantity of objects crammed into scene - knight's armour scattered around lance, helmet foreground light glints off shiny bucket, firelight gleams off knight's armour knight's face - tiny stippled stokes of brush, whole painted with great detail, gum arabic in ark areas of red blanket over horse.