Anne Boleyn

The panel and the balsa wood backing are in a stable condition. The paint surface has a history of blistering and flaking. The most insecure areas have been repeatedly treated in the past but still have a tendency to become unstable. There is considerable filling and restoration in the chest area, where the surface is uneven and lumpy, and also in the face. The surface of the flesh paint has a thick heavily restored appearance. The varnish is brittle and easily scratched; it is semi-matt and has a sprayed appearance.

Number of boards: 2

Panel Orientation: Vertical

Number of boards: 2

Last date of tree ring: 1585

Observations

For analysis the boards were labelled A and B from the left (from the front). Sapwood is present along the lower edges of both boards, therefore a felling date range can be applied to the panel. The sequence of rings on board A matches strongly with board A from Edward IV (NPG4980(10)), and the sequence from board B matches strongly with board B from Edward IV and both boards from Edward VI (NPG4980(11)). The last tree ring on board A dated to 1585, and on board B it is dated to 1581, at the onset of sapwood. The two linked boards on Edward IV also contain sapwood, but those on Edward V do not. Adding the minimum and maximum expected number of sapwood rings to all six of these boards and combining the ranges suggests that the three panels derive from two trees felled between 1589 and 1604. It is unlikely that Board A has been significantly trimmed as it is unusually wide (341mm) for an eastern Baltic board.

The joins in the balsa wood backing can be seen in x-ray and the adhesive appears as scattered shapes with a fine craquelure pattern (see x-ray mosaic 01). The panel joins are also evident. The area of sapwood at the edge of the panel join can be seen as darker than the rest of the panel grain and there are old woodworm holes in this part. The considerable damage, with paint loss in the chest, is evident in x-ray. There is a dense area on the face that is difficult to interpret because the back of the panel is obscured by the backing and, therefore, it is not possible to determine whether this area is part of the paint surface or is on the back of the panel. The painting method for the face can be compared with the method in other portraits in the group: NPG 4980(7), NPG 4980(9), NPG 4980(10), NPG 4980(11)

The underdrawing marking out the features and hair is thick, black and heavily applied (see DIRR 01). It marks out the features with very definite shapes and can be seen to be reinforcing lighter lines beneath. The position of the string of pearls has been marked with a single drawn line with some searching of line at the top left side. The rough position of the dress neckline has also been quickly marked in, although not closely followed in the upper paint layers.

Paint samples were taken for analysis in April 2011.

The panel is prepared with a chalk ground and a thin warm grey priming.

Paint
Headdress pearl
Sample 1: Dispersion shows a mixture of lead white and chalk which was most likely added for extra translucency.

Brown fur sleeve
Sample 2: Cross-section shows the chalk ground with particles of soot, and a thin priming containing lead white, carbon black and what appears to be either an orangey red ochre or red lead. Above the priming there is possibly a yellow lake, followed by layers of dirt and degraded varnish.

Background
Sample 3: Cross-sections shows the chalk ground and warm grey priming, as above. The paint layer over the priming contains a mixture of earth pigments and carbon black with distinctively large white particles that are very similar to those found in Edward IIII (NPG 4980(10)) and Edward V (NPG 4980(11)).

Painting style and method
Dendrochronology has linked this painting with the portraits of Edward IV (NPG 4980(10)) and Edward V (NPG 4980(11)) from this set, and the handling of the paint in some areas has been found to be similar. The painting has a similar streaky grey priming layer, although it is not as thick as that seen on Edward IV (NPG 4980(10)). The painting has suffered from continued blistering and paint loss and has extensive retouching in the flesh (see raking 01).

Preparation layers
The panel was prepared with a chalk ground, containing particles of soot, and a grey streaky priming, which contains lead white, black and a little red lead. The thick black underdrawing is visible beneath the paint layers in certain areas.

Paint
Flesh
The paint layer has a smoother appearance than the portraits of Edward IV (NPG 4980(10)) and Edward V (NPG 4980(11)), with textured brushstrokes only visible in some areas. This appears to be due to the extensive retouching on this painting. A fine comb-like tool was dragged through the wet paint in the flesh on the décolletage and also in a small area of the hair line to create texture (see micro 03), which was not seen on the other two works. A light brown paint was used to emphasise the features and shadows of the face. The modelling of the flesh has been carried out using a paint mixture containing very finely ground vermilion, mixed with white and a little black. The eyes, eyebrows and lips have been painted in before the flesh paint has been applied. A pinker paint mix has been used around the eyes, and the paler tone used for the rest of the face has not been blended into this paint but painted around it. The lips are handled in a similar way to Edward IV (NPG 4980(10)) and Edward V (NPG 4980(11)) using a paint mixture containing red lake, white and black. On the décolletage the pearl necklace appears to have been painted before the modelling of the flesh, which again has been painted up around the pearls, with brushstrokes following the contours of the necklace.

Eyes
The thick underdrawing is clearly visible through the paint around the eyes. A pale brown paint has been used as an underlayer for the eye socket, upper lid and iris, and is the same paint used for the eyebrows and shadows of the flesh. A translucent dark brown layer containing large black pigment particles has been used to define the iris and the pupil and a lead white highlight have been painted on top of the iris. The whites of the eyes have been painted around the iris. The corners of the eyes have been marked with a mixture of vermilion and red lake. The upper eyelid has been emphasised with a line of dark reddish brown (see micro 01 and micro 02).

Eyebrows and hair
The eyebrows have been painted in the same distinctive way as seen in NPG 4980(10) and NPG 4980(11). A light brown layer has been painted in to mark the position of the eyebrows. The flesh paint has then been painted up and around the reserve giving the eyebrows a very pronounced, strong shape. Individual strands of hair have then been painted on the brow in a dark red/brown paint similar to that seen on the upper eyelid. A translucent warm brown layer has been used as a base coat for the hair, which has been quickly applied in broad brushstrokes.

Costume and headdress
The white border of the neckline appears to have been painted before the black of the dress. The dress has a grey underlayer that may be the same grey as seen in the background. Over this a dark black layer containing earth pigments has been applied. The fur sleeves of the dress have been painted in the same translucent warm brown as the hair. A few small strokes of white have been added to create the illusion of fur; in some instances these are covered by the warm brown layer. The veil of the headdress contains a mixture of lead white and chalk. The gold chain necklace and gold setting for the jewel on the neckline have been painted in bright orange with lead-tin yellow highlights. The jewels have been painted directly onto the black of the dress, which is also used for the base colour of the diamonds, with small lead white highlights on top. The pearls are painted with two different shades of thin grey paint; the brushstrokes have been used to create the shape of the pearl with lead white highlights on top (see micro 07). The jewels show a degree of skill and detail that is not seen in the other parts of this painting. Similar handling of the details and pearls can be seen on the headdress. The streaky priming can clearly be seen on the decorative border of the headdress (see micro 06).

Background and inscription
The background has been painted in two layers. In some areas a dark grey layer is visible, which contains large particles of lead white and black pigment with a small amount of vermilion and earth pigments. This layer was applied at an early stage in the painting process. A second layer has been applied over this in a wholesale manner. This layer is a warm translucent brown, which does not completely obscure the lower layer (see micro 05) The inscription is painted in a warm shade of lead-tin yellow and is stylistically similar to NPG 4980(10) and NPG 4980(11). Many of the letters have been reinforced with later overpaint (see micro 04).

Order of construction
- Ground
- Priming
- Underdrawing
- Brushy underlayer for the hair and headdress
- Eyes and lips
- Pale brown marking out the features and shadows on the face
- Flesh modelling
- Lower layer of the background
- Costume
- Jewels and decorative border on the headdress and neckline
- Inscription
- Upper layer of the background

Pigments
Lead white, carbon black, red lake, vermilion, lead-tin yellow, red lead or red ochre, earth pigments, yellow lake (possibly)

There is a thick varnish over the surface which appears opaque in ultra violet light (see UV 01). This obscures most of the considerable restoration beneath the varnish, apart from in the flesh and parts of the costume where some of the old restoration can be seen as dark areas.

Frame date: Late 20th century.