Art is the Solution

The Two Princes Edward and Richard in the Tower Source: Wikimedia Commons When King Edward IV of England died in 1483, his two young sons found themselves in a difficult position. Although Edward IV’s oldest son should have become Edward V, the late king’s brother, Richard, Duke of Gloucester, imprisoned his two nephews in the Tower of London and declared himself King Richard III. What happened next is up for debate; however, young King Edward V and his brother Prince Richard never left the Tower again. It is assumed that the boys, aged twelve and nine, were either murdered for political reasons or fell ill and died. Shakespeare memorialized the story of the children in his famous play Richard III . The story of the princes in the Tower is one of the most famous and tragic mysteries in the history of England. To this day, historians speculate about the fate of the two young boys and the identity of their (assumed) murderer. In the seventeenth century, two child-sized skeletons were fou...

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey Source: Wikimedia Commons There are few paintings more dramatic than The Execution of Lady Jane Grey by Paul Delaroche. A fine example of history painting, the piece represents a golden age in the genre.  History painting rose to special prominence in nineteenth century England, with many artists borrowing subjects from European and English history for their work. Aside from their popularity, history paintings were also a useful vehicle to explore heightened emotion or to convey the artist’s ideas about the lessons offered by the past. Delaroche specialized in history painting and quickly became known for his melodramatic depictions of English and French history. While he painted in a realistic style, Delaroche’s subjects were romanticized and rich in emotion and drama.  The Execution of Lady Jane Grey is his most famous painting and an exceptional example of his work. As the title suggests, the painting depicts the death of Lady Jane Grey, so...

And when did you last see your father?  Source: Wikimedia Commons The nineteenth century was a prime time for history painting. Traditionally, history painting—which takes its name from the Latin word historia , meaning story—is simply a narrative style of painting. However, in the nineteenth century, British painters took history painting in a different direction and increasingly used the genre to portray events from their country’s past. History paintings quickly became popular with the public as well as offering artists a useful vehicle to explore heightened emotion or to convey the artist’s ideas about the lessons offered by the past. William Frederick Yeames was one of the leading history painters of his time; although his work was popular with the public, it received little critical acclaim from other artists. Yeames had a particular interest in portraying subjects from the Tudor and Stuart periods. His work was not always historically accurate. Instead, Yeames used historica...

The Escape of a Heretic Source: Museo de Arte de Ponce There’s a particular type of dramatic history painting that is unique to the art of John Everett Millais. While Millais is typically known as a Pre-Raphaelite painter—not a group of artists typically known for dramatic scenes—he experimented with many different artistic styles and techniques during his long career. Despite this, Millais returned to one theme again and again throughout his artistic life: moments of great emotional drama seen through the lens of historical events. These pieces usually portrayed imagined historical figures escaping from extreme and dangerous situations, inspired by real historical events. The Proscribed Royalist, 1651, A Huguenot on St. Bartholomew's Day, The Ransom and The Martyr of Solway are all examples of this motif in his oeuvre. However, my favorite example of this theme in Millais’ work is The Escape of a Heretic . This genre is typically known as history painting. This style of history ...