Month: May 2019

Women

The Curious Case of a Misidentified Portrait of Anne Boleyn

by Heather R. Darsie On 13 April 1929, the Supreme Court of New York heard the curious case of Hahn v. Duveen, in which an art collector  named Mrs. Andree Hahn sued an art dealer named Sir Joseph Duveen for slander. At the heart of the issue was an alleged original painting which Ms. Hahn stated depicted Anne Boleyn and was painted by none other … Continue reading The Curious Case of a Misidentified Portrait of Anne Boleyn

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Illuminators and Manuscripts, This and That

The Scythian Lamb, or the Delectable Lamb-Vegetable of Tartary

by Heather R. Darsie In the Middle Ages, rumour spread that there was a mythological zoophyte known as the Scythian Lamb or the Borametz. Herodotus, from the fifth century BCE and Theophrastus of the third century BCE wrote of the Scythian Lamb, bolstering credibility that such a thing existed. An additional source for the rumour was found in a Jewish text from 436 called, Talmud … Continue reading The Scythian Lamb, or the Delectable Lamb-Vegetable of Tartary

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This and That, Women

The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Sorrow

by Heather R. Darsie After Anne Boleyn’s startling arrest on 2 May 1536, several other men accused of being her accomplices in treasonous adultery were arrested. Sir Thomas Wyatt himself was arrested, but later released without charges. While he was in the Tower, it is traditionally thought that Wyatt wrote the following poem: Believed to be a late 16th century copy of a portrait of … Continue reading The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Sorrow

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This and That, Women

The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Anger

by Heather R. Darsie Another poem written by Sir Thomas Wyatt and allegedly about Anne Boleyn shows how upset he was at Anne for losing her. Calling her an old mule and pointing out that she now had a few grey hairs, Wyatt repeatedly calls the subject of the poem a “mule.” Devira Achille, protrait of Anne Boleyn for a lithography project in 2016, via … Continue reading The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Anger

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This and That, Women

The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Infatuation

by Heather R. Darsie There was and yet is the rumour that Sir Thomas Wyatt, Tudor-era poet and diplomat, was in love with Anne Boleyn. Wyatt was born in 1503, making him either three years younger or four years older than Anne Boleyn. Wyatt entered Henry VIII’s service in 1526. It was right around this time that Henry’s desire for Anne was becoming known at … Continue reading The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Sir Thomas Wyatt’s Infatuation

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This and That, Women

The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Second Poem

by Heather R. Darsie A second poem is attributed to Anne Boleyn, and perhaps written shortly after her trial on 15 May 1536. Despite bravely defending herself against slanderous claims, Anne was found guilty of adultery and incest. It was obvious to her that the charges were a way for Henry to rid himself of Anne Boleyn so Henry could marry the more passive Jane … Continue reading The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: Second Poem

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This and That, Women

The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: First Poem

by Heather R. Darsie Anne Boleyn, Queen Consort of England and mother of Elizabeth I, was arrested on 2 May 1536 for allegedly committing adultery whilst married to Henry VIII of England. Anne’s trial came on 15 May, where she was found guilty of the charges. On 19 May 1536, Anne Boleyn was executed. During her time in the Tower, Anne may have written two … Continue reading The Poetry of Anne Boleyn: First Poem

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Events, This and That

1527: ROME HAS BEEN SACKED!

by Heather R. Darsie 6 May 1527. Pope Clement VII had been sitting on St. Peter’s Chair since 19 November 1523.  An illegitimate member of the Medici clan, he was raised by his uncle Lorenzo de’ Medici, known as Lorenzo the Magnificent. His cousin was Pope Leo X, second son of Lorenzo the Magnificent and another Medici. Clement VII was originally trained for military service, … Continue reading 1527: ROME HAS BEEN SACKED!

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This and That

Il Politico: Niccolò Machiavelli

by Heather R. Darsie “Am I politic, am I subtle, am I a Machiavel?”** On 3 May 1469, Bartolomea and Bernardo welcomed their first son, Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli, in Florence, Italy. By the time of Machiavelli’s birth, Florence was the cultural capital of the Tuscan region and is today regarded as the birthplace of the Italian Renaissance. Starting in 1434, the famed Medici … Continue reading Il Politico: Niccolò Machiavelli

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Deutsch

Dorothea von Dänemark und Norwegen

geschrieben von Heather R. Darsie mit Unterstützung von Tanja Klimmek Dorothea Oldenburg, Prinzessin von Dänemark und Norwegen ***, wurde am 10. November 1520, als Tochter, von König Christian II. Von Dänemark und Norwegen und Isabella von Österreich geboren. Isabella von Österreich war eine jüngere Schwester von Karl V., dem Kaiser des Heiligen Römischen Reiches, und einer Nichte von  Katherine von Aragon.  Dorothea war eine Nichte … Continue reading Dorothea von Dänemark und Norwegen

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