Today we are able to view paintings of Anne Boleyn, but you may not know that they were not painted from the time that Anne was alive. They were created, in fact, after her death. We have to remember that Henry VIII had six wives and for every time that he remarried, he had old paintings and decorations, and crests changed according to the new wife.
Henry almost successfully wiped Anne's image from the face of the earth. To leave her forgotten in the pages of history. Thank God for the amazing artist, Holbine and the person who saved this coin, pictured left, from being melted down like the rest of them. These coins were created to celebrate Anne's coronation and the birth of their first, and only, child Elizabeth.
Henry almost successfully wiped Anne's image from the face of the earth. To leave her forgotten in the pages of history. Thank God for the amazing artist, Holbine and the person who saved this coin, pictured left, from being melted down like the rest of them. These coins were created to celebrate Anne's coronation and the birth of their first, and only, child Elizabeth.
Thanks to the few artists who had known or seen Anne, we now have paintings of what Anne most likely looked like. Of course we know today that artists would fix any flaws that their subjects had to make them more appealing. Though I don't see the point in making Anne more appealing due to the fact that she was already dead and neither the King or Anne, herself, would ever see.
We do have records from members of Henry's court who wrote what Anne would not only have looked like but who she was inside and what continues to attract us to her today.
I want to start off with one of the myths of Anne that disturbe me and make me want to scream "NOT TRUE!" at the top of my lungs. Did Anne have six fingers on one hand? Above is a painting of Anne, the only one, that has her hands shown, holding a Tudor rose. As you can see, there is no sixth finger. I really don't want to believe this, myself. Most likely because I have an image of Annne forever etched into my head.
Depending on which source you go to, you'll get a different answer. some say that Anne had a sixth finger, some say she did not. Who is to believe? There is a chance that there was some slight imperfection on one of Anne's hands, but only those who knew her would be able to tell this. The only sources I could find that stated that she had that extra finger. A man who is known to really dislike Anne was, Nicholas Sander. He wrote, "she has a tooth protruding under the upper lip, yet has a pretty mouth. A large wen in her chin, and six fingers on her right hand". Yet, another source, grandson of Anne's ex-lover, Thomas Wyatt, noted "there was found, upon the side of her nail upon one of her fingers that had another nail".
So, did Anne have a sixth finger? Probably not. What would the chance that a King would fall for someone with a public inperfection, when the king could have absolute perfection.
We do have records from members of Henry's court who wrote what Anne would not only have looked like but who she was inside and what continues to attract us to her today.
I want to start off with one of the myths of Anne that disturbe me and make me want to scream "NOT TRUE!" at the top of my lungs. Did Anne have six fingers on one hand? Above is a painting of Anne, the only one, that has her hands shown, holding a Tudor rose. As you can see, there is no sixth finger. I really don't want to believe this, myself. Most likely because I have an image of Annne forever etched into my head.
Depending on which source you go to, you'll get a different answer. some say that Anne had a sixth finger, some say she did not. Who is to believe? There is a chance that there was some slight imperfection on one of Anne's hands, but only those who knew her would be able to tell this. The only sources I could find that stated that she had that extra finger. A man who is known to really dislike Anne was, Nicholas Sander. He wrote, "she has a tooth protruding under the upper lip, yet has a pretty mouth. A large wen in her chin, and six fingers on her right hand". Yet, another source, grandson of Anne's ex-lover, Thomas Wyatt, noted "there was found, upon the side of her nail upon one of her fingers that had another nail".
So, did Anne have a sixth finger? Probably not. What would the chance that a King would fall for someone with a public inperfection, when the king could have absolute perfection.
It is said that Anne was "not the most handsome woman," as described by the Spanish Ambassador wrote. But that she knew how to work with what she had. She dressed completely differently than the rest of the English court. Instead of the boxed headdress which showed no hair, she wore the french headdress, and showed her front bangs and could see her hairline, (as pictured to the right). Her clothing as well was styled in the French fashion, which showed more skin, like cleavage.
The reason for this is because Anne's father was the English Ambassador in French had Anne in the French court as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margret. She lived in France until the time of the "Field of the Cloth of Gold" which is where it is thought Anne caught the eye of the English King. Though he would go on to have a long affair with her sister before he would pursue her.
She was outspoken, flirtatious, and above all things, exotic. Because though she was English, she had become more French than an Englishwoman.
Anne had dark olive skin, dark brown hair along with dark brown eyes. Where most Tudor women were pale skinned, blonde hair and blue eyed. Most myths today that revolve around Anne today were started from people who disliked her as she climed to power in the Tudor court.
The reason for this is because Anne's father was the English Ambassador in French had Anne in the French court as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Margret. She lived in France until the time of the "Field of the Cloth of Gold" which is where it is thought Anne caught the eye of the English King. Though he would go on to have a long affair with her sister before he would pursue her.
She was outspoken, flirtatious, and above all things, exotic. Because though she was English, she had become more French than an Englishwoman.
Anne had dark olive skin, dark brown hair along with dark brown eyes. Where most Tudor women were pale skinned, blonde hair and blue eyed. Most myths today that revolve around Anne today were started from people who disliked her as she climed to power in the Tudor court.
Today there are a few wax figures created to resemble what Anne would have looked like in the flesh. Without the awful myths and without the painters fixing any flaws. Out of all the figures I have come across, this one is the one I believe resembled her most.
As you can tell, (in the picture to the left), she appears quite beautiful. But even in her wax figures I can see her secrets which she will keep forever.
As you can tell, (in the picture to the left), she appears quite beautiful. But even in her wax figures I can see her secrets which she will keep forever.