The famous London National Portrait Gallery portrait of Anne Boleyn is in serious trouble! This is one of the most famous portraits of Anne Boleyn and quite often the image that most people think of when they think of this amazing historical woman. Last year the portrait was taken down and examined by the people at the London National Portrait Gallery and they determined that it had been painted in the late sixteenth century, not long after Anne’s lifetime and quite possibly from living memory. It is not only the most famous image of Anne Boleyn but quite probably an image close to her likeness. But this portrait is in serious need of repair.
According to the London National Portrait Gallery:
This important portrait of Anne Boleyn is in urgent need of conservation treatment. It is in a particularly vulnerable and unstable condition as a result of structural problems with the wooden panel. Vertical cracking has occurred across the picture causing minor paint loss where the wood has split (see the photograph taken in raking light alongside). We need to act now as the damage is being caused by the long term effects of an unsuitable cradle (an applied wooden panel support) which must be removed. Therefore this important and much loved painting needs urgent conservation treatment to ensure it can be put back on public display.
The Gallery hopes to raise £4,000 for conservation work on this picture, and with your help we very much hope to be able to undertake this work in early 2011.
The image on the left is how Anne Boleyn's portrait is supposed to look. The image on the right shows under raking light what a disastrous state the portrait actually is in.
The Gallery needs to raise £4000 to restore Anne’s portrait or it could be lost to use forever! That I fear would be a great loss. I have had the greatest honour to stand in front of this famous portrait in November 2009. I have to say that standing there, staring at this image which could quite possibly be a close likeness to Anne Boleyn sent shivers down my spine. It was as though those eyes, those famous eyes were looking back at me almost five hundred years after her lifetime. It was such an incredible experience and one that I hope many, many people still get the chance to have.
Everyone knows of my great love and admiration for Anne Boleyn, she is my idol and my hero and I think to lose such a breathtaking portrait, and one of such huge significance would be a great lost to any lover of history. The National Portrait Gallery is relying on donations to gather the money to carry out the work to restore Anne’s portrait. I have already donated and I urge anyone that is an admirer of Anne Boleyn or Tudor history – please do not let this wonderful portrait be lost to time.
If you wish to donate, please follow the link:
Save Anne Boleyn’s Portrait. I am sure Anne would be grateful.
