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# The Intersection of Religion and Art in Paul Delaroche's
## The Execution of Lady Jane Grey

Abusailan P Akmad

► To cite this version:

Abusailan P Akmad. The Intersection of Religion and Art in Paul Delaroche's The Execution of Lady Jane Grey. 2024. hal-04808253

HAL Id: hal-04808253

https://hal.science/hal-04808253v1

Preprint submitted on 28 Nov 2024

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# The Intersection of Religion and Art in Paul Delaroche's The Execution of
## Lady Jane Grey

Abusailan P. Akmad

### Info

**ORCID:**

0009-0003-2182-4367

**E-mail:**

abusailanakmad@sksu.edu.ph

**Institution:**

Sultan Kudarat State University -
Palimbang

### Keywords

Paul Delaroch
Lady Jane Grey
Religion and Arts

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Paul Delaroche's 1833 painting entitled "The Execution of Lady Jane Grey" depicts the seventeen-year-old Jane Grey moments before being executed on counts of High Treason. King Edward VI established Lady Jane Grey, his first cousin once removed, to be the heir in his will only mere days before his death. In doing this, he sustained that the established Protestantism religion in England would be upheld by Lady Jane, a protestant. This action blocked Edward VI's half-sister Mary I, a Roman Catholic, from succeeding the throne and messing with the established religion. After only nine days of ruling, Lady Jane was deposed, and Mary I was proclaimed Queen. After being deposed, Lady Jane and her husband were tried for high treason. Queen Mary I granted them both a reprieve, which allowed them to be high-status prisoners for about nine months before they were officially charged and sentenced to death.

When viewing this piece, the audience is immediately drawn to Lady Jane in the center due to her adorning an all-white garb. By highlighting Lady Jane as the main subject in this piece, her importance and hierarchy within England also pop out. Similarly, the fabric she's adorned in is some satin, which speaks to her elegance and higher status. The brightness of Lady Jane is a stark contrast to the rest of the otherwise dimly colored painting. She is almost angelic, standing out with the white fabric and pale glowing skin. While Delaroche paints her in white clothes to draw you in, he also does this as a symbol of her purity and innocence. Most notably, she appears wearing a white blindfold that shields her eyes from the gruesome scene before her; this underscores her innocence as well. When looking closely at Lady Jane, the viewer can discover the small detail of her wedding ring still on her finger. This small detail establishes Lady Jane as a loved wife who is being taken away too soon.

When analyzing the two women in the background, you can quickly understand that they are emotionally
overcome. These two women, presumably Lady Jane's ladies-in-waiting, cannot even bear to look toward the executioner's block. One faints at the mere sight of Lady Jane in the room while grasping onto the outer clothing that Lady Jane has shed. The other lady stands against a wall with her hands held up, shielding her face from sight. This portrayal emphasizes the tragedy of Lady Jane's execution. These women convey high emotions, which speaks to Lady Jane's character and communicates that people are unhappy. In most cases, when a person is executed, they have committed a significant crime, and many are not emotional about their death. However, in this case, these people are deeply connected to Lady Jane and are devastated by this occurrence.

In a similar manner, the man who appears behind Lady Jane seems very caring and soft with her. He delicately guides her towards the executioner's block, where Lady Jane struggles with her arms outstretched. This gesture also showcases how the people don't hate her, and even moments before death, she is treated with kindness and care. Delaroche purposefully positions the executioner in the frame, lying in wait. He is illustrated in brighter clothing with a focus on red. This both draws the eye towards him and symbolizes the bloodshed that is soon to come. This appearance displays the reality of the situation and doesn't allow the viewer of the painting to forget about what is about to happen. He also appears fully upright and casts his gaze downwards onto Lady Jane, demonstrating his power in the situation. The executioner isn't the only reminder of this; you're also visually drawn to the straw that is strewn below the block to catch any blood. Both aspects force the viewer to acknowledge the situation and respond by looking away or keeping viewing.

When taking in the background of the painting, the viewer is met with lots of dark, muted colors that blend in with each other and let the figures stand out. Tucked away in the background is Romanesque architecture with many arches and detailed carvings. In the foreground, it can be observed that there is a drop off the floor, which indicates they are on some platform. Executions are often public events held outside, and Lady Jane's was one of those many. However, Delaroche paints this scene inside, which may speak to the silencing nature of her execution.

When analyzing this artwork, it is crucial that we not only see what the artist painted but also look closer at the underlying history being portrayed. Throughout history, religion has been a significant source of conflict within royalty. The subject of religion has led to civil wars, political instability, and the birth of new religions. As mentioned earlier, Lady Jane's death resulted from a religious disagreement. England was established as a Protestant country but was in danger of a religious dispute if Mary I ascended the throne. While Protestants and Roman Catholics share some core beliefs, they have different practices and views. Speaking concerning King Edward VI and his situation, within the Protestant religion, they believe that the Bible is of the highest authority when it comes to religious truths. In contrast, Roman Catholics believe the church is comprised of a hierarchy of authority figures, with the pope as the highest. By understanding how big of a subject religion was in England during this time, it's easier to understand why Edward VI chose to mess with the line of succession to try and appoint Lady Jane as his heir. Ultimately, Edward VI's efforts were futile, and Mary followed Lady Jane's death I's rule. Roman Catholic bishops were reintroduced under Mary I's reign, and the Roman Catholic religion was restored.