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Category: Art News

Sunday Short Takes

The story that lit up my news alerts the most this past week was the announcement that a team of researchers working on the DNA of Richard III are going to map the king’s complete genome:

* Richard III: Scientists to sequence DNA

Another popular story last week was the auction of another supposed flag from the Battle of Bosworth (see here for a link to another from past September):

* Richard III’s ‘Battle of Bosworth flag’ sold at Suffolk auction

In “Tudors on TV” news – Suzannah Lipscomb’s newest program, a two-part documentary on Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn’s relationship, starts Thursday on Channel 5 in the UK:

* Henry & Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History

And finally…

I just wanted to give a shout-out to the British Library’s Flickr account, which now has over 1 million public domain images from their collections. And of course there are some Tudor-history-related items in there, such as the one above of Henry VIII and Will Somers from the Psalter of Henry VIII and this one of the Trial of Mary Queen of Scots as just a few examples!

Sunday Short Takes – Monday edition

Since I got side-tracked doing other things on Sunday and Monday is a holiday here in the US, you get a return of the “Sunday Short Takes – Monday edition”!

The big story that caused my Google alerts to light up was about a purported “last portrait” of Henry VIII. The story from The Daily Mail in the first link kicked it all off and I have to admit when I first saw the portrait and read the article, I was pretty skeptical about some of the claims of it being the last portrait Henry sat for. I’m definitely not a professional art historian but I was pretty sure people were jumping to conclusions. And thankfully some people who do know more about art history chimed have in with opinions on this being the “last” portrait of Henry VIII.

* Last ever’ painting of Henry VIII uncovered in Wiltshire after experts study TREE RINGS to prove it is from final year of his reign

* Not Henry VIII’s ‘last portrait’ – Good breakdown from Bendor Grosvenor, hitting the main points that immediately came to mind when I saw the first article.

* Henry VIII’s ‘last portrait’ at Longleat disputed by art historian

For the anniversary of Elizabeth I’s coronation on Wednesday, Culture 24 put together a nice summary of Elizabethan things to see in the UK:

* Elizabeth I: Where to find the 16th century Queen in museums and galleries

And finally, History Extra has launched a new video series with an introduction and an interview with Suzannah Lipscomb talking Tudors:

* Talking Tudors: Sam Willis meets Suzannah Lipscomb

Sunday Short Takes

News seems to be slowing down as we approach the end of the year, so it’s another short round-up this week. Two of the stories are more close to home for me than usual (one is *really* close), but first we start with the news from today:

* Peter O’Toole, Lawrence of Arabia star, dies aged 81 – Fans of “The Tudors” will remember him from season 2 when he played the Pope. Most people associate him with “Lawrence of Arabia” but for me, it’s his two turns as Henry II in “Becket” and “The Lion in Winter”.

The first closer-to-home story:

* What happened to the lost colony of Roanoke Island? Remote sensing unearths clues to 400-year-old American mystery – I’ve been interested in the Lost Colony since I first learned about it in my 8th grade American History class. Mrs. Lively, the teacher of that class, is responsible for more of my historical interests than probably anyone alive! (And yes, for those who have been around here for a long, long time, she’s the teacher who also sparked my interest in the Tudors.) Plus, it’s always fun to be reminded that there is Tudor history here in the States!

And finally, the very close-to-home story:

* Hans Holbein the Elder

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for December 2013

Books

I’m struck by how many books I’ve been posting lately are by people that I know through the Tudor web-o-sphere… maybe that’s a sign I need to get off my duff and get writing. 😉

Barb Alexander of the Tudor Tutor website now has a book out of the same title! I just snagged a copy on Kindle, but these links go to the physical book:

A new novel by Ann Turner entitled Heartsease, set in turbulent times at the court of Henry VIII, is out in both the US and UK as of the first of the month:

And Alison Weir’s newest work on Tudor history, about Elizabeth of York, is now out in the US.

Events

The Royal Shakespeare Company’s plays based on Hilary Mantel’s Wolf Hall and Bring Up the Bodies open on December 11th and 19th respectively and will run through March 29, 2014. They are both being staged at the Swan Theatre of the RSC in Stratford-upon-Avon. Click the links on each title for information on tickets, rehearsal photos, and more.

Continuing exhibitions

* Elizabeth I & Her People opened at the National Portrait Gallery in London on October 10, 2013 and runs through January 5, 2014. Be sure to check out their Events Page for lectures, tours, and other activities associated with the exhibition.

* West Country to World

Sunday Short Takes

Another short round-up this week!

* Double Take: Versions and Copies of Tudor Portraits – another fascinating post from the NPG “Making Art in Tudor Britain” research program.

* Tudor Medicine and Gingerbread Houses – Kyra Cornelius Kramer writes about how Tudor medicine is related to all the lovely spices we enjoy in our foods and drinks this time of year.

And finally…

* The Marie Stuart Society (in association with Historic Scotland) has launched an appeal for a statue of Mary Queen of Scots to be erected at her birthplace of Linlithgow Castle. The maquette for the statue design can be seen above.

Sunday Short Takes

Just a few stories this week –

* Toys and games that killed in Tudor England – More interesting stuff from Steven Gunn and Tomasz Gromelski’s research into coroner’s reports.

* Great works: Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VI) by Hans Holbein the Younger, circa 1538

* The Lost Palace of Henry The VIII – An interesting look at Otford Palace

And finally…

* The series Tudor Monastery Farm that I mentioned back in August is now airing on BBC Two. You can watch it online if you have access to iPlayer.

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for November 2013

Books

Alison Weir’s newest work on Tudor history is about Elizabeth of York and is out on November 7 in the UK and December 3 in the US.

And another prolific writer of Tudor history books, Professor David Loades, has a work coming out on Thomas Cromwell at the end of the month. It is scheduled to be released on November 28 in both the UK and US.

And finally, a new work on The Field of Cloth of Gold by Glenn Richardson is out on November 30 in the UK and January 7, 2014 in the US.

Continuing exhibitions

* Wrapping up this month: The National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots closes on November 17.

* Elizabeth I & Her People opened at the National Portrait Gallery in London on October 10, 2013 and runs through January 5, 2014. Be sure to check out their Events Page for lectures, tours, and other activities associated with the exhibition.

* West Country to World

Sunday Short Takes

Lots of stories this week since I got totally sidetracked on something last weekend and never got around to writing a post!

* Bodleian Libraries’ archives reveal ‘lost’ Rycote mansion – The “lost” history of a Tudor mansion that hosted six English kings and queens, including Henry VIII, has been restored in a new online archive.

You can see the online archive here: Rediscovering Rycote. There are some great resources at the site, including a nice palaeography tutorial. Yes, my quest to get better at reading Tudor handwriting still continues…

* And more from the Elizabeth I and Her People exhibition at the NPG:

Elizabeth I and Her People – Slideshow from BBC History Extra. And the first part of this week’s History Extra podcast includes a discussion of the exhibition with Dr. Tarnya Cooper.

The National Portrait Gallery’s You Tube channel has several videos related to the exhibition. I’ve embedded one below, but be sure to check out the others at the channel.

* A castle fit for a king: Historic home once owned by Henry VIII and used for trysts with his mistresses goes up for sale for

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for October 2013

Oh boy are there a bunch of reasons that I wish I was going to England in October (which sadly I am not)!

Books

Leanda de Lisle’s latest work on the Tudors will be out on October 8 in the US. It’s titled Tudor: The Family Story in the UK and Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England’s Most Notorious Royal Family in the US.

Susan Higginbotham has written her first non-fiction book, The Woodvilles: The Wars of the Roses and England’s Most Infamous Family, which is out October 1 in the UK and will be out in January in the US.

Terry Breverton has a new biography of Richard III coming out at the end of October in both the US and UK:

And a couple of things from previous months that I missed:

An academic work entitled Reading and Writing during the Dissolution: Monks, Friars, and Nuns 1530-1558 by Mary Erler that came out in August (which you can learn more about here and here)

And just this week, Claire Ridgway of The Anne Boleyn Files has released The Anne Boleyn Collection II: Anne Boleyn and the Boleyn Family which you can get on Kindle and in paperback (the links go to the paperback edition):

Events

BBC History Magazine’s next History Weekend is on October 25-27 in Malmesbury, Wiltshire. There are lots of Tudor-related talks, and plenty of other topics for those of you who branch out from the 16th century! And for those of you who can’t attend (like me – sob), in the past they have put some of the talks up as podcasts, so check out the BBC History Extra podcasts if you haven’t already!

New exhibitions

* Elizabeth I & Her People opens at the National Portrait Gallery in London on October 10, 2013 and runs through January 5, 2014. Be sure to check out their Events Page for lectures, tours, and other activities associated with the exhibition.

* The Museum of London has a new exhibition on the Cheapside Hoard, a collection of Elizabethan and Jacobean jewels that were found in a cellar in 1912. The exhibition opens October 11, 2013 and runs through April 27, 2014.

* West Country to World

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for September 2013

Books

Castles, Customs, and Kings: True Tales by English Historical Fiction Authors, a collection of essays from the English Historical Fiction Authors blog (which you should be reading if you aren’t already!) will be released on September 23rd to mark the second anniversary of the blog. You can learn more about the book at Madison Street Publishing and you can enter to win a copy at Goodreads.

I totally missed Elizabeth Freemantle’s The Queen’s Gambit last month (and back in March, when the UK version was released)! You can also read an excerpt on Simon & Schuster’s website.

Jennifer Kewley Draskau’s The Tudor Rose: Princess Mary, Henry VIII’s Sister is now out in the US (it was released a few months ago in the UK):

Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger’s In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn is out on September 28 in the US and UK. You can read the introduction to the book on Natalie’s website On the Tudor Trail. And if you want to meet the authors and get your copy of the book signed, they’ll be at Sudeley Castle this month (see below)!

Events

The last Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day for 2013 is on September 22nd. And there is a special bonus this month – Sarah Morris and Natalie Grueninger will be there selling and signing copies of In the Footsteps of Anne Boleyn!

Continuing exhibitions

This first one wraps up this month, so catch it soon if you haven’t already:

* Shakespeare and London, an exhibition by the London Metropolitan Archives, opened in May and will run through September 26, 2013. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a 1613 deed signed by Shakespeare and is one of only six known examples of his signature. If you want to be sure to see that item, please check the website since it is only on display for some of the dates the exhibition runs.

* The exhibition In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion opened in May and runs through October 6. More information is available at the Royal Collection website, which also includes an online gallery of exhibition highlights and a TEDx talk by the exhibition curator.

* The National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots opened on June 28 and will run through November 17.

Sunday Short Takes

* National Portrait Gallery unveils earliest known portrait of a guinea pig – This painting will be on display in an upcoming exhibition that I’ll blog more about in the future.

* Mary, Queen of Scots Manuscripts On Loan – Nice overview of some of the manuscripts on loan from the British Library to the National Museums Scotland in Edinburgh.

* Charles Brandon: Norfolk hawk death reveals ‘royal’ hunt – A “rare” 16th Century “royal” silver vervel found in a Norfolk field has revealed the hunting habits of Charles Brandon, the first duke of Suffolk.

* James IV: Renaissance Monarch – An article in the newest issue of History Today by Linda Porter. The rest of the article is pay-only, but I wanted to bring it to people’s attention in case it was of interest. Also, if you attend or work at a university, you might check to see if you have access to a digital version through your university library. I do, and although it usually takes a couple of weeks for the latest issue to show up, it’s a nice resource to have access to!

* Another History Extra podcast with Tudor history discussion, this time on the Battle of Flodden which has its 500th anniversary next month. If you have an iPad, the September issue that I mentioned last week has some nice digital extras on the Battle of Flodden cover article. I haven’t had time to fully explore the extras yet, but they look neat! If you’re not already a subscriber you can get a 30-day free trial.

Sunday Short Takes

A few of these stories were actually from over a week ago, but just now made it into the round-up!

* Greys Court ‘hidden’ buildings revealed by heatwave – The heatwave has revealed the site of former buildings at a 16th-Century mansion in Oxfordshire through severely parched areas of grass.

* Woking Palace fire started by arsonist – This is the third time the palace remains have been attacked by arson in two years.

* Assessment of Two Portraits Identified as Lady Jane Grey Dudley in the Collection at Syon House – From Dr. Stephan Edwards. An interesting read!

* The Mary Tudor Pearl will be unveiled to the public for the first time at Masterpiece London 2013

* The King’s Lost Bed on BBC4’s “Secret Knowledge” program – Historian and broadcaster Jonathan Foyle believes he has uncovered a remarkable piece of furniture – the marriage bed of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

And related to the above link:

* Henry VII bed to go on display at Auckland Castle

And finally –

* Video of the Mary Queen of Scots exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, from The Scotsman. (If the embedded video doesn’t work, here’s the link)

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for August 2013

Books

Leanda de Lisle’s latest work on the Tudors is out at the end of August in the UK and will be out in early October in the US. It’s titled Tudor: The Family Story in the UK and Tudor: Passion. Manipulation. Murder. The Story of England’s Most Notorious Royal Family in the US.

Linda Porter has a new book out this month as well, this time about Mary Queen of Scots. The release date is August 15 in the UK and I have (so far) been unable to find info on a US release date.

And Fatal Rivalry, that I linked to last month, will be out in the US on August 26.

Events

The next Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day is on August 25th.

Continuing exhibitions

* Shakespeare and London, an exhibition by the London Metropolitan Archives, opened in May and will run through September 26, 2013. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a 1613 deed signed by Shakespeare and is one of only six known examples of his signature. If you want to be sure to see that item, please check the website since it is only on display for some of the dates the exhibition runs.

* The exhibition In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion opened in May and runs through October 6. More information is available at the Royal Collection website, which also includes an online gallery of exhibition highlights and a TEDx talk by the exhibition curator.

* The National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots opened on June 28 and will run through November 17.

Upcoming Books, Exhibitions, and Events for July 2013

Books

As the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden approaches in September, a new book is being released on July 4th in the UK and in late August in the US. I have an advanced copy of Fatal Rivalry but unfortunately, like with so many books, I haven’t had a chance to read it yet! I might be able to get to it before the actual anniversary of the battle though. 🙂

And Elizabeth Norton has another Tudor book coming out – this time about the Boleyn Women. It is listed for the 28th of July in the UK and just July for the US (with a one to three month delivery, it might just be the UK copy sent over if you order from the US Amazon store.)

Events

The next Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day is on July 21st. These always look like fun – maybe I’ll get to visit during one some day!

Continuing exhibitions

Just two weeks left on this one:

The Victoria & Albert Museum‘s exhibition Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts, and the Russian Tsars is still on and runs through July 14, 2013.


Shakespeare and London, an exhibition by the London Metropolitan Archives, opened in May and will run through September 26, 2013. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a 1613 deed signed by Shakespeare and is one of only six known examples of his signature. If you want to be sure to see that item, please check the website since it is only on display for some of the dates the exhibition runs.


The exhibition In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion opened in May and runs through October 6. More information is available at the Royal Collection website, which also includes an online gallery of exhibition highlights and a TEDx talk by the exhibition curator.


The National Museum of Scotland’s exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots opened on June 28 and will run through November 17.

Sunday Short Takes

A couple of stories related to the Mary Queen of Scots exhibition that opened last Friday:

* Mary, Queen of Scots modelled in 3D – The face of Mary, Queen of Scots has been recreated in 3D by a team of experts from the University of Dundee.

* In pictures: Mary, Queen of Scots

And it’s been a while, but this week we have three entries in the “What would I buy if I won the lottery?” series:

* Elizabethan Manor House Near Cambridge

* Is this the most perfect house in Britain? Colourful history revealed of timber-framed country pile worth

Sunday Short Takes


The Phoenix Portrait of Elizabeth I, by Nicholas Hilliard. At NPG London.

Just a few stories this week, especially compared to the last couple of weeks!

* Tudor portraits to be restored at National Portrait Gallery – The images in this article are wrong, both show one of the versions of the Armada Portrait, but the description is of The Phoenix portrait which I would be very interested to see with the yellowed varnish cleaned up. I’ve put an image of the Phoenix portrait at top.

* Chris Skidmore discussed the Battle of Bosworth (subject of his new book that I now have in my hot little hands!) on the BBC History Extra podcast. Look for the June 6th episode.

* The Royal Collection asks – Who is the Man in Red?

And finally…

More people have taken pity on those of us outside the UK and have put the latest programs of the BBC2 Tudor Court Season up on YouTube:

* The Most Dangerous Man In Tudor England

* The Time Traveller’s Guide to Elizabethan England Episode 2 – The Rich

Upcoming Exhibitions and Events for June 2013

Amazingly, I don’t have any books on the spreadsheet for this month. That really only means that there are books coming out in June that I’ve missed since I know a month can’t go by without *something* related to Tudor history being published. 😉

Events

* The next Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day will be on June 23. Check their website for more information.

* The play Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn, will be performed at the Tower of London and Gippeswyk Hall, Ipswich for several more performances in June. More information and links for tickets are available at their website.

New exhibitions

* Shakespeare and London, an exhibition by the London Metropolitan Archives, opened this past week and will run through September 26, 2013. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a 1613 deed signed by Shakespeare and is one of only six known examples of his signature. If you want to be sure to see that item, please check the website since it is only on display for some of the dates the exhibition runs.

* The National Museum of Scotland will be opening an exhibition on Mary Queen of Scots on June 28 that will run through November 17. (I’m amused that it opens on Henry VIII’s birthday and closes on Elizabeth I’s accession day.)

Continuing exhibitions

The Victoria & Albert Museum‘s exhibition Treasures of the Royal Courts: Tudors, Stuarts, and the Russian Tsars is still on and runs through July 14, 2013.

The exhibition In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion opened in May and runs through October 6. More information is available at the Royal Collection website, which also includes an online gallery of exhibition highlights and a TEDx talk by the exhibition curator.

Sunday Short Takes


Elizabeth and the Three Goddesses. Image:NPG

The big news in the Tudor/Elizabethan art realm this past week was the announcement that the National Portrait Gallery has purchased a portrait of Elizabeth I from a house sale and that it would be included in the gallery’s forthcoming exhibition Elizabeth I & Her People (opening in October).

Here are a few of the articles about the painting from last week:

* Elizabeth I portrait found in house clearance sale – BBC article with a video discussing the painting with the NPG’s Tarnya Cooper

* Elizabeth I portrait to be displayed after being hidden for centuries – From The Telegraph

* National Portrait Gallery buys postcard-sized portrait of Elizabeth I – From The Guardian

Several stories related to Mary Queen of Scots came along last week:

* Mary, Queen of Scots death warrant to go on show – It will be part of an exhibition that I’ll post more about in an upcoming round-up

* Mary, Queen of Scots statue call – If Mary gets a statue, I hope this prompts Pembroke to grant the request for one for Henry VII.

* The CW Picks Up

Upcoming books, exhibitions, and events for May 2013

How can it already be May?

Books

From last month – In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion was released last month in the UK and will be released on May 15 in the US. More about the related exhibition below. And John Guy’s Children of Henry VIII has been moved up in the US and is now due out on May 8 (and actually appears to already been in stock).

The Tudor Rose: Princess Mary Rose, Henry VIII’s Sister by Jennifer Kewley Draskau is due out May 1 in the UK and September 1 in the US:

Anna Whitelock’s Elizabeth’s Bedfellows is due May 23 in the UK. US publication information is unavailable at this time, but I’ll update when I hear more.

And the same with Bosworth: The Birth of the Tudors from Chris Skidmore. I’m really looking forward to this one, so it’s a good thing I have a review copy coming. 😀

And finally for the books this month, Elizabeth I is finally getting a biography in the Yale English Monarchs series! It will be authored by Simon Adams and is simply titled Elizabeth I: A Biography. It is due out May 28 in both the US and UK.

Exhibitions

As mentioned above with the book news above, the exhibition In Fine Style: The Art of Tudor and Stuart Fashion debuts this month in the The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. It opens May 10 and runs through October 6. More information is available at the Royal Collection website, which also includes an online gallery of exhibition highlights and a TEDx talk by the exhibition curator.

Events

* The next Sudeley Castle Tudor Fun Day will be on May 19. Check out the website for more information!

* Marilyn emailed to say that Alison Weir would be speaking at Gainsborough Old Hall on May 11. I went to the website and saw that Ms. Weir had a whole bunch of events scheduled the year, so if you’re interested in seeing her speak check the whole calendar of events!

* Suzannah Lipscomb posted on her blog that she participated in a new BBC2 program on the last days of Anne Boleyn that is scheduled to air in mid-May.

And finally…

I think I’m the last person in the Tudor blog-o-sphere to post about the play Fallen in Love: The Secret Heart of Anne Boleyn, which I have heard excellent things about. The play will be performed at the Tower of London and Gippeswyk Hall, Ipswich at various dates in May and June. More information and links for tickets are available at their website.