ANNA BOLENA

The work is inspired by a woman with a strong personality and an overwhelming but short life.

Technical notes: the work is made of pink clay, it has undergone three firings at 960 °, 980 ° and 700 °. It was decorated with engobes, enamels, lustres in the third fire and wax.

Length cm18 , Height cm29 , Width cm19

Poetic incipit

Anne Boleyn
I was appointed by the King himself, as I am considered the best executioner in the land. That’s why I have travelled all the way from France, where people claim one stroke of my blade is all I need to do my job.

The one destined to die is the second of Henry VIII's six wives: an ambitious, intelligent and high class woman.

As her aim was to be the most important woman in England, she used her virginity as a bait, caused a schism in the Catholic Church and undermined Henry’s first wife by having her marriage annulled. Her husband got rid of her by accusing her of witchcraft and adultery, while in reality, her only fault was not giving birth to a male heir and no longer satisfying her husband’s lust. From the gallows I can see her walking towards me: her jet black hair and the back of her head in plain sight, not losing her regal dignity until the very end!