HOME | DD
KristinaGehrmann — TheExecution of Lady Jane Grey
Published: 2011-09-26 13:41:36 +0000 UTC; Views: 122526; Favourites: 2068; Downloads: 42
Redirect to original
Description
In the Tudor era (and probably in the Middle Ages too) it was customary for the executioner to ask the condemned's forgiveness. It was supposed to show that he held no malice towards the victim; that he was only an extension of the law doing his job. By granting forgiveness the condemned also had a chance of showing magnanimity in the face of death, thus leaving a good impression on the spectators.Lady Jane Grey forgave her executioner, as did Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard before her.
Who was Lady Jane Grey? She was designated queen by young king Edward Seymour (the son and successor of Henry VIII, as you remember).
But when he died in 1553, she managed to be queen for only about 2 weeks, because Henry's daughter Mary Tudor had many supporters and so became queen the same year.
The 17 year old Lady Jane Grey, though she didn't plot against Queen Mary herself, became a symbol of resistance and Protestantism and so became dangerous to the Catholic politics of Mary. Queen Mary had her executed for "high treason" in 1554.
You can read the entire story on Wikipedia here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lady_Jan…
Even today historians aren't sure if she had a legitimate claim to the throne or not, so she's usually not included in a line-up of English regents.
Hmm. That's quite a lot of death scenes in my portfolio so far. Perhaps I should paint a birth some time...! Nevermind. The next painting, of course, is going to feature Mary Tudor ("the Catholic" or "Bloody Mary" depending on whose side you're on).
Photoshop and Wacom tablet as always, took about 30 hours or so. (Social life? What's that? XD)
Wood and brick wall textures snatched from cgtextures.com .
Screaming guy referenced from alastock - alastock.deviantart.com/art/sc…
Lady-in-waiting referenced from lockstock - lockstock.deviantart.com/art/T…
Special thanks to the folks on Conceptart.org for kicking my butt
WIP can be seen here: img196.imageshack.us/img196/34…
© Kristina Gehrmann
------------------------------------ Follow me on Facebook!
My web portfolio!
ETSY SHOP
------------------------------------
Related content
Comments: 257
so she was never pardoned for a crime she didn't commit? that's truthfully the saddest thing about it all
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
especially like the cheering grey-haired lady in the crowd, who seems completely oblivious to the poignancy of the scene (as you would be, poignancy is for the later generations to find, or invent) and is impatiently/cheerfully baying for blood. Fantastic image, all in all, love the composition and the gestures especially.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I love her story SO much! as usual, I have no words for your art, I'm just happy to have to privilege to be able to enjoy it!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This is absolutely stunning! I am literally speechless.
I love to see the Old Master style executed in digital media. If I could create a scene such as this with even half as much technical skill, I would be so happy.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
it's just worthed enough too sacrifice your social life for amazing piece like this
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
This is beautiful. The expression in Jane's eyes is especially haunting. Well done.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
K:
History is so incredibly interesting! I love it!
And what a beautiful piece this is! It truly looks museum worthy!!! Absolutely stunning and flawless! Gorgeous work.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I always liked Lady Jane Grey, and felt rather sorry for her. This is a beautiful image and captures her awkwardness but dignity. The only critique I have is that she had been blindfolded when led to the block, and had vaguely panicked in her efforts to find where to rest her head so that she could maintain her dignity.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Details are amazing, lights are awesome... but, honestly, I don't like the overall picture.
I mean, it's nice, but the perspective is a bit flat, like a cartoon or a comic : I think a scene like this need to be more dramatic, more deep.
You have 3 levels : the crowd, the wood floor, the people on top; everything is great by themself, but together... well, there is something wrong... I can't precisely say what, I think it's a matter of perspective, the P.O.V. is a bit weird, almost a wide-angle.
Maybe it's just the style you meant, in that case I'm sorry, my bad.
Of course, that just my opinion and, BTW, I can barely use a brush...
Anyway, can't believe you did it with PS and a Wacom. You have a lot of talent!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Oh amazing! I just finnished reading about this. I sat there for a minute wondering why. . .
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Thank you
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
There really is no words to describe how epic this is. It's stunning. Well done you!
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Well, I'm Catholic and I call Mary Tudor "Bloody Mary". She deserves that name.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
i'm not christian and i call her Queen Mary, she was a queen and did nothing different from ANY absolute monarch of her own time, especially her father who executed much more people than her and it's not called bloody Henry, strange isn't?
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
And that makes her not being a "Bloody Mary"? Here in Spain we call our queen Isabel I "Isabel the Catholic" and despite being so much "Catholic" she put the Inquisition and expelled the Jews from the country. Not everyone deserves the name is given to him/her; but the fact that Henry VII executed more people than his daughter not males his daugther a "better" person than him.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
No, but it is unfair to name someone bloody when other one did even worse things and has no "bad reputation"
Many historians as Ives,Whitelock and Poter says that it's unfair to nickname her as bloody, since she did nothing different from her father and siblings. Edward persecuted many catholics in his reign(some of them lead the persecutions back against protestants in Mary's reign)and he is not bloody,Elizabeth devasted Ireland, but she is no bloody too. Henry VIII was the only king i know that could send to death 3 catholics and 3 protestans in the same day (not counting 2 wives, salisbury who was a old woman and Jane Parker totaly insane, which he change a law just to have her executed.) So, by my perspective I won't call Mary Bloody if unless i can call all the absolute monarchs of her time, the same.
BTW, about Isabel i was question myself how she is viewed in Spain, she has a lot of fans around the world.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
In Spain you'll find both who love her a a Catholic queen, and who don't love her because of the Inquisition and the Jews expelling. In fact, she also acted like any other queen in her place, but the Jews theme is quite unfair, since they give her the money for the America's discovering...
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
True..These were hard times to live, not that now is easy, but at least more than in these times.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
hahahahaa Ive never liked Mary Tudor, she's such a cow. So I refer to her as Bloody Mary but this painting is amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Keep up the great work!
👍: 0 ⏩: 0
when i look at this i can't help but feel as if this girl is
someone whom i know and immediately feel for her
beyond amazing
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Very well done. The details are amazing.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
this is so perfectly done, the colours, everything, such an eerie atmosphere. And the child at the bottom. and the shouting woman.
just perfect.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Very beautiful artwork 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Wow. This is amazing. The raw emotion in this piece is truly superb.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
<= Prev | | Next =>