Painted in the glory days of 1833, The Execution of Lady Jane Grey exemplifies the qualities of historical painting. It’s dramatic, technically exquisite, and a bit wrong on the factual details. These elements made history paintings popular in the 19th century and then passé soon after. I have a penchant for these artworks. History paintings remind me of the old timey ads for snake oil products. The portrayals often open a window into the hot controversy of a time period and offer one take on the topic. Podcast […]