Anne Boleyn and Percy, by David Wilkie Wynfield (1837-1887). 1866. Oil on canvas. 28 x 58 inches (71 x 147 cm). Private collection. [Click on the images to enlarge them.]
This work was exhibited at the Royal Academy in 1866, no. 547, accompanied by these lines in the catalogue: "Anne Boleyn, when maid of honour to Catherine of Aragon, had secretly plighted her troth to Lord Percy, son to the Duke of Northumberland. The maids of honour messed together, and on these occasions Percy was wont to resort to pay his attentions to the fair Boleyn. The discovery of this circumstance by the King gave rise to such an outbreak of jealousy on his part as to lead to the various steps which ended in the elevation of Anne, and the commencement of the Reformation in England."
This work is typical of the St. John's Wood Clique who favoured historical genre paintings. The paintings Wynfield exhibited in the early to mid-1860s were generally set in Medieval or Renaissance times and particularly the Tudor period.
This painting shows Catharine's maids of honour, seated on benches at a long table, being served victuals by servants. The women are clad in their gorgeous gowns of the Tudor period. A variety of pet dogs of the court occupy the foreground in front of the table, hoping to receive scraps that have fallen to the floor at the direction of one of the ladies who has given instructions to a male youth. In the centre foreground Lord Percy can be seen flirting with Anne Boleyn who is clad in a white dress decorated with a leaf pattern in gold. To the right entering the door into the room can be seen King Henry VIII scowling as he surveys the scene in front of him.
Details from the painting. Left: The boy giving scraps to the waiting dogs, under instructions. Right: An ornate pewter flagon at the end of the table.
When it was shown at the Royal Academy the work was favourably though not extensively reviewed. A critic for The Art Journal complained about the finish of the work:
Mr. Wynfield's meritorious picture, Anne Boleyn and Percy (547), may here find mention as allied to the same school, as the work of Mr. Yeames. The maids of honour in the court of Henry are dining together in a fashion which, for its rudeness, veritably belongs to the middle ages. And Lord Percy, seated at the table, is caught by fat and bluff King Hal in the act of making love to Anne Boleyn. The painter tells the story in a simple and truthful manner, unmarred by affectation. It is to be regretted, however, that the handling is not a little more finished. The king, for example, has been put upon canvas in a slovenly manner. [163].
The Illustrated London News merely stated: "W. Wynfield continues to make good the vantage ground he has lately won in his excellent picture of the jealous Henry discovering Anne Boleyn with her secret lover, Lord Percy, at the table of Queen Katharine's maids of honour" (497).
Bibliography
"Fine Arts. Exhibition of the Royal Academy." The Illustrated London News XLVIII (19 May 1866): 496-97.
"The Royal Academy." The Art Journal New Series V (1 June 1866): 161-72.
Victorian, Pre-Raphaelite & British Impressionist Art. London: Sotheby's (December 17, 2015): lot 13, 30. https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2015/victorian-pre-raphaelite-british-impressionist-art-l15133/lot.13.html
Created 12 December 2023