The Lancelot wall paintings

Lancelot of the Lake, a knight of the Round Table, is the hero of this 14th-century painted decoration. His adventures occupy two bands of images. The story begins at the left of the lower band and moves right; it then continues in the upper band, again starting from the left.

Lancelot first sets out with his cousin Lionel. When the knights fall asleep during their journey, Lionel is captured by Tarquyn. Lancelot defeats the captor and releases the prisoners. The upper band introduces Guinevere, King Arthur's wife, and tells of her rescue and romance with Lancelot. Acts of bravery sit alongside the breaking of courtly obligations.

The decoration was painted al secco, on dry plaster, rather than in fresco on wet plaster. The completed paintings cover more than 32 square metres of wall. This is an extended visual narrative, not a single portrait of a knight. Following the scenes in order reveals relationships between characters that are easily missed when viewing the images from top to bottom.