#PortraitTuesday – Henry VIII’s first interview with Anne Boleyn

Iv seen this painting many times and agree it is beautiful, the colours are light almost pastel in hue, and Anne is wearing what looks like ivory satin, the king himself looks huge but he did add to his bulk by wearing layers of clothing and his chest was magnified by the extra padding and jewels he wore, the ermine trimmed surcoats and his shoulders were puffed and therefore he looked much bigger than he did, Henry’s courtship of Anne Boleyn has inspired many artistes over the years and also the tragedy of how their relationship ended, when he first met this ‘fresh young damsel’ as she was described he was bored with his first queen, he had no son after about eighteen years of marriage and was discussing with his ministers about taking a new wife, he was searching for ways to end it, the line from the book of Leviticus inspired him, in this painting he is looking at Anne, his wife’s new lady in waiting and it is Anne’s expression I find intriguing, she is looking downcast and appears almost coy, there is nothing of the witty flirt in her expression and it could be when he first spoke to her, Anne like many was overawed and taken away by the splendour and the mystique of royalty, in her right hand she holds a mask and he is being offered a goblet from a page boy, one can imagine what he is saying to her, ‘you are newly arrived from France I hear’, and ‘how like you the court’? Of course Anne being possessed of supreme boldness would have had no difficulty answering, when they met and the words they exchanged is intriguing and how the subject of marriage was raised continues to fascinate us to this day, because we do not know the answers, their love story endures and is the most tragic of all the great love stories in history because it ended in bloodshed,, this painting is a charming reminder of that great but not eternal love.