I don't believe the portrait of Anne Boleyn, currently on display at the National Portrait Gallery in London, is based on a contemporary likeness of Anne.
Why? Hear me out.
There's a portrait of Queen Elizabeth I in the Compton Verney, Warwickshire, bearing a striking resemblance to the NPG portrait of Anne Boleyn. A natural likeness between a mother and daughter, one may say, but look closer:
There are exactly the same brushstrokes running from the nose towards the lips, brushstrokes under the nose and under lips.
Coincidence? I don't think so. It's been my view for years that the NPG portrait of Anne Boleyn was painted during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I and was based on Elizabeth’s face. It’s not what Anne Boleyn would have looked like. The exact same brush strokes around the lower part of Elizabeth’s and Anne’s faces are not coincidental; Elizabeth’s face was probably used as pattern for Anne’s face.
What do you think?
Hi Sylvia, I agree
ReplyDeleteThe NPG subjected the AB portrait to dendrochronological analysis and found it postdates 1584, according to their website. This would seem to confirm your theory that it was produced during her daughter's reign. I notice that many portraits of Elizabeth show a strong resemblance to her G-father Henry VII, esp around the eyes, so any portraits of Anne that have similar features must be based on portraits of her daughter.
Thank you for your comment, Kevin! I'll post an update soon :-)
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