A Monk and Guy's Widow Conversing with the Soul of Guy de Thurno
 
During the Middle Ages, people believed that ghosts, who were invisible to almost everyone, could rise up from their graves to haunt their friends and relatives.

In this painting from a handmade book, the ghost of Guy de Thurno, a wealthy man from Italy, returns from the dead to haunt his wife. The frightened wife calls on a priest to help her. The priest is the only one who can see the spirit and begins arguing with him. The priest, an uneasy group of gentlemen, and de Thurno's trembling wife stand in a loose circle around the ghost. Because the ghost is invisible, it looks like the people are standing around an empty space.

Simon Marmion, the artist who created this painting, was known for the way he could capture the mood in a picture. How would you describe the mood here? What do you think each of these people is feeling?

 

 



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