- 12 August 2023
The 14th-century effigy of Wilelmus de Staunton in St. Mary, Staunton in the Vale, Nottinghamshire, preserves unmistakable broad nose and full lips, even after deliberate damage. This rare monument reveals the swarthy Anglo-Saxon (Hebrew/Israelite) heritage of one of Nottinghamshire’s most powerful medieval noble families, whose estates and influence spanned the region. Despite attempts to erase their features, the Stauntons’ nobility and lineage remain boldly visible in stone
A close comparison of Michelangelo’s self-portrait and the figure of Jacob in the Sistine Chapel reveals an astonishing truth: the biblical figure mirrors the artist himself. Broad nose, full lips, and swarthy features suggest Michelangelo was a swarthy Hebrew/Israelite man, subtly inserting his identity into his work while conforming to papal demands to depict biblical figures as white. This hidden self-portrait reveals both his genius and the personal struggle behind his masterpieces.