The Saatchi Gallery in London is currently hosting an exhibition titled The Raw and the Cooked, which explores aesthetic themes linked to the medieval period rather than focusing on the actual historical era. The show features a large painting titled The Punishment of Richard Roose (2026) by Harry Jones London, the exhibition’s curator. This artwork depicts a scene from 1532, when Richard Roose, a cook found guilty of poisoning, was the first person in England to be executed by being boiled alive. However, this event took place during the Tudor era, which is not considered part of the traditional medieval period (roughly 500 to 1500), and such a punishment would not have been allowed under medieval English law. The exhibition centers on the idea of an artisanal medieval age, emphasizing the handmade nature of the medieval world. This includes references to craftsmanship in leather, metal, wood, painting, ceramics, and baking. It also touches on the medieval association with spirituality and the human need to find meaning and community through shared beliefs and traditions. The show includes various modern artistic interpretations of medieval themes. For example, Jessica Luostarinen’s paintings Fitting (2024) and Fitting – 2 (2025) merge chivalric medieval imagery with contemporary and futuristic elements, featuring an androgynous figure in plate armor that could be seen as cyborg-like. Jakob Rowlinson’s sculpture The Apogee of Foolishness (2024) transforms a Prada shoe into a grotesque mask, offering a modern take on the medieval concept of memento mori, which serves as a reminder of the impermanence of life and material wealth. Other works in the exhibition include Caitlin Hazell’s Pilgrim Badge Replicas (2024), which features detailed castings of medieval pilgrim badges that gradually deteriorate into indistinct forms, reflecting on fragility and the passage of time. Hazell’s Unknown Individual (2024, rebaked 2026) is a life-sized skeleton made of bread, displayed in a vitrine surrounded by pebbles, shells, and driftwood, symbolizing a relic from an imagined past. Emmanuel Awuni’s Sankofa (2022) is a sculpted head containing a golden leaf and a cowrie shell, drawing on the Ghanaian Akan concept of looking back to the past for guidance, described as vulnerable, tender, and precious. The exhibition highlights a growing interest in medieval themes in contemporary art and culture. Similar works have been showcased in recent years at events such as the National Gallery’s St Francis of Assisi in 2023, Medieval Relics at Green and Stone in 2025, and the current Living by the Rule: Contemporary Meets Medieval at the Sainsbury Centre in Norwich. While academic experts on the medieval period often note that creative interpretations may not always align with historical accuracy, they generally agree that such artistic engagements can still offer valuable insights. The exhibition underscores how the medieval era, regardless of interpretation, continues to influence and inspire the present day. The Raw and the Cooked will be on display at The Saatchi Gallery in London until September 11.