ACEO, 2.5 x 3.5 inches, watercolor, gouache and gold ink, July 2007

Anne Boleyn was Henry VIII's second wife and arguably the most famous. Her exact date of birth is unknown, but after spending several years in the French Court as a lady- in-waiting she returned to England in 1521 making her court debut in 1522. She soon made a name for herself and was considered the most fashionable woman at court, though she was wily enough to keep her distance from men. Anne's elder sister Mary had been the King's mistress for a short time, and soon enough his attention's were caught by Anne. While not considered conventionally beautiful for the time (red/blonde and pale were considered attractive) she was intelligent and vivacious and accomplished at music and dancing. She was also ambitious and realised that if she succumbed to the king easily she would soon be tossed aside. Her refusal to be seduced only stoked Henry's fire. By 1528 he had proposed and she had accepted - the problem was Katherine of Aragon (see previous painting). This situation brought about the break with Rome, the formation of the Church of England and the Dissolution of the Monasteries when the wealth of the Church was appropriated by Henry.
It also allowed him to divorce Katherine and marry Anne in 1533. She gave birth to a daughter, later to become Elizabeth Ist, later that year. However the relationship with henry was already showing signs of strain. She became angry and upset when Henry took mistreses. She was interested in political and religious reform, and was opinionated - she would often argue with the King. In 1536 she had a miscarriage and lost a son. Anne's downfall has caused much discussion and controvery. It is generally agreed that the charges of adultery, incest , treason and witchcraft that she was charged with and found guilty of were false and she was innocent, as were the four accused men who were executed, one of them her brother. It is likely that Anne's political enemies, along with her failure to produce a son, were the driving forces behind it. Certainly her reputation was tainted for many years, and the rumours of her having six fingers and of her bewitching character lasted centuries. By the time of Anne's arrest Henry had already began his relationship with his next wife, Jane Seymour. Anne was found guilty and was sentenced to burn, but Henry commuted the sentence to beheading. Rather than by axe, Anne was beheaded by a sword in 1536, a French swordsman brought to England for that purpose. A coffin was not provided and she was buried in an arrow chest, her grave unmarked.