THE ICONOGRAPHY OF A FALLEN LOVE (ANNE BOLEYN) Painting

THE ICONOGRAPHY OF A FALLEN LOVE (ANNE BOLEYN) triptych 2016 acrylic and oil on canvas 330 (w) x 150 (h) x 2 cm The triptych is the fruit of a long-term internal creative dialogue with the use and meaning of Gold and Copper. I do love the famous use of these colors by Gustav Klimt and by medieval iconographers. My own contemporary interpretation (or maybe transfer) features dozens of really thin color layers and gradients mixed with Gold, Copper and Earth-Colors. Each of the three paintings highlights a different aspect of this transfer, but they contain not only a creative message as single piece. You can look at them also in a major conceptional context and from combined aesthetic standpoints as well as with regard to contents. This triptych THE ICONOGRAPHY OF A FALLEN LOVE (ANNE BOLEYN) has to tell a story. About my thoughts and emotions during the painting process: Love comes, love goes. The rise and fall from grace in ten years. England in Renaissance... Speaking about Anne Boleyn, the second wife of the famous King Henry VIII who has been called the most influential and important queen consort England has ever had. In spring 1526 Henry began his pursuit of Anne Boleyn, an attractive and beautiful young lady at his court. He felt in deep love and wrote a collection of passionate love letters to her. But she resisted his attempts to seduce her, refusing to become only his mistress (which her sister Mary had been). She wanted more, and so he proposed marriage to her and she accepted. For her love he was willing to move mountains and annulled his former marriage and declared his independence from the Holy See that was the start of the English Reformation. Anne was crowned Queen of England as the second wife of King Henry VIII on 1 June 1533. She gave birth to the future Queen Elizabeth I. But as a queen Anne refused to play the submissive role expected of her. The vivacity and opinionated intellect that had made her so attractive as an illicit lover made her too independent for the largely ceremonial role of a royal wife and it made her many enemies. Henry, who started to dislike Anne's constant irritability and violent temper, was more and more disappointed to have only a daughter rather a son. Anne's downfall came shortly after she had recovered from her final miscarriage. At this time the king found a new mistress and needed reasons for his marriage with Anne to end. Anne Boleyn was arrested and sent to the Tower of London where a jury found she guilty for high treason. It was a propaganda trial with untrue accusations, but nobody rose the word for Anne. On the morning of Friday 19 May 1536 she was beheaded within the Tower of London and buried in an unmarked grave. The day after Anne's execution Henry became engaged to Jane Seymour, who had been one of the Queen's ladies-in-waiting. They were married ten days later (the third of finally six wives of King Henry VIII). Beside all politics and intrigues, what did happen to this former so passionate big love? Remember the final sentence of the famous Song of the Nibelungs (5th century): 'At the end love bears always suffering'. Love comes, loves goes. The rise and fall of Anne Boleyn in ten years... The triptych combines following 3 works and should "read" from left to right: "AT THE DYING OF THE LIGHT" acrylic and oil on canvas, 2016, 100 (w) x 120 (h) x 2 cm left part of the triptych "ARE YOU WITH ME AT FIRST AND LAST LIGHT" acrylic and oil on canvas, 2016, 120 (w) x 150 (h) x 2 cm center part of the triptych "THE AWAKENING COASTLAND" acrylic and oil on canvas, 2016, 100 (w) x 120 (h) x 2 cm right part of the triptych * * * * "I beseech you now with all my heart definitely to let me know your whole mind as to the love between us..." - Extract of a love letter from Henry VIII to Anne (at the beginning of their relationship) "O Death, rock me asleep, bring me to quiet rest, let pass my weary guiltless ghost out of my careful breast." - Anne Boleyn (on the verge of her execution) "Of all losses, time is the most irrecuperable for it can never be redeemed." "Two beheadings out of six wives is too many." - Henry VIII of England (as an old man) * * * * This triptych is a true LARGE-SIZED TRIOLOGY. For a large-scale, finely nuanced aesthetic impression on your wall AND as my authentic and personal artwork with an artistic subsurface message. All of these paintings also for sale as single pieces here at Saatchi Art. This triptych offers a price advantage in comparision to the summarized single selling prices. The surfaces of the paintings are -- as a desired part of the creative process -- predominantly shiny and smooth but elsewhere rough and matt. The cotton canvas structure of the center part tenderly shines through and supports (in combination with the special colors) the precious impression. For further information about the specific topic of each artwork and additional photos please visit the pages of the 3 single paintings at Saatchi Art. I use exclusively oil and acrylic colors, canvas and solid wooden frames in a professional museum quality. The three paintings wear my signature on the front and they are signed, entitled and dated on the backside. Deliberately the sides/edges (about 2 cm wide) are not part of the paintings and show the black painted canvas (beautiful contrast). The paintings are ready to hang (on the backsides: high-quality iron plates with metal inserts and nylon rope for gallery use), unframed and don’t need a frame or any additional surface treatment. All paintings need a single hanging (no backside connections between the paintings). This trilogy contains 3 single paintings, each in acrylic and oil on canvas and with dimensions of 100 (w) x 120 (h) cm (right and left part of the triptych) and 120 (w) x 150 cm (center part of the triptych). I prefer a hanging distance each of 5 cm between the 3 single paintings. Complete dimensions of this artwork, including the hanging space between the single paintings: 330 (w) x 150 (h) x 2 cm. The piece (3 paintings) will be safely shipped in a custom wooden crate. It will be accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, a cover letter and two poems (written for the paintings). Please note: In context pictures are not necessarily to scale and are for illustrative purposes only. If you have any questions about this triptych or any other piece, feel free to contact me and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. Thanks so much for taking an interest in my work. Warm wishes, Christian