Tag: Anne Boleyn

Artists of Northern Europe, Books, Flemish primitives, portrait miniature, Portraiture, Royal Portraits, Symbols and emblems, Tudor portraiture

“Beneath every history, another history.”

Melanie V Taylor

Hilary Mantel emphasized that novels should raise questions rather than provide answers, illustrated through her portrayal of Thomas Cromwell and Holbein's art. Cromwell’s rise amid Tudor court politics is detailed alongside Holbein’s contributions, reinforcing both the artistry and historical significance of their relationship, while reflecting the intricate dynamics of power and identity during that era.

Artists of Northern Europe, poetry and portraiture, Royal Portraits, Tudor portraiture

The Devonshire Manuscript & its place in history

Melanie V Taylor

Henry VIII’s court, particularly through the lens of Anne Boleyn and the Devonshire Manuscript, reflects a fascinating interplay of power, poetry, and sedition. Compiled by Boleyn's courtiers in the 1520s, the manuscript’s ambiguous verses provide insights into the dynamics of court life, ambition, and the eventual downfalls of key figures associated with Anne.

Illuminated manuscripts, portrait miniature, Portraiture, Renaissance, Subjects for discussion, Tudor portraiture

Monkey business at 16th century royal courts

Melanie V Taylor

In 1492 Christopher Columbus (1451 – 1506) sailed under the Spanish flag and discovered a whole new land. Six years later the Portuguese explorer, Vasco de Gama (1460 – 1524) reached India’s Malabar coast, which had been a centre of trade between Arab and far eastern merchants for at least fifteen hundred years.  Columbus’s voyage west… Continue reading Monkey business at 16th century royal courts

Artists of Northern Europe, portrait miniature, Portraiture, Royal Portraits, Tudor portraiture

A Portrait of Anna, Duchess of Cleves : The King’s Beloved Sister

Melanie V Taylor

Anna, Duchess of Cleves (?) Hans Holbein the Younger (1497 - 1543) (?). Rosenbach Museum, Philadelphia, USA. Accession Number 1954.1923. When Heather Darsie’s consideration of Anna’s life and marriage was published in April 2019, the cover portrait (above) presented us with a completely different aspect of the duchess from the Holbein portrait that now hangs… Continue reading A Portrait of Anna, Duchess of Cleves : The King’s Beloved Sister

Artists of Northern Europe, Books, portrait miniature, Portraiture, Renaissance, Tudor portraiture

The Cromwell Enigma – A Review

Melanie V Taylor

The Cromwell Enigma by Derek Wilson, published by MaryleboneHouse. When it comes to Thomas Cromwell (1485 – 1540), what more of an enigma can there be than the paucity of detail for the years he spent abroad prior to becoming the indispensable secretary to Cardinal Wolsey and then the man who administered the affairs of… Continue reading The Cromwell Enigma – A Review