Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages

Initial C: Gillion’s Sons Kneeling before the King of Cyprus (detail), from Romance of Gillion de Trazegnies, 1464, Lieven van Lathem. Tempera colors, gold, and ink, on parchment. Getty Museum, Ms. 111 (2013.46), fol. 105.

Play and Pastimes in the Middle Ages encourages us to discover the lighter side of life in the Middle Ages through the surprising and engaging world of medieval games and leisure. It features dynamic images of play and explores the role of entertainment in the Middle Ages. Manuscript images capture the complex contests and pastimes that medieval people enjoyed, ranging from a light-hearted game of chess to the dangerous sport of jousting. Then as now, play was thoroughly woven into the fabric of society at every level.