December 18: King Edward VI and the Pope

This painting known as "King Edward VI and the Pope" was painted in the reign of Edward's half-sister, Elizabeth I, and it's a work of Protestant propaganda.

It depicts Henry VIII on his deathbed pointing at his son, his successor Edward VI, who is shown with a slumped pope at his feet. Above the pope's head is a book with "The Worde of the Lorde Endureth For Ever" written on the pages, and the pope's robes have the words "All fleshe is grasse" written on them, which is taken from Isaiah 40 verse 6 and is a reminder that the body is ephemeral. Words surrounding the pope read "idolatry" and "feyned holine[ss]". The National Portrait Gallery explains that "The blank white spaces may have been intended for further anti-Catholic inscriptions."

On the right of the painting, we see members of Edward VI's council, including Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector; John Dudley, Duke of Northumberland; Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury; John Russell, Earl of Bedford, and William Paget. In the top right of the painting, we see men tearing down and smashing idols, something which Edward's government approved.

It's an interesting painting, isn't it?