530 - P. MERCURI (*1804) after DELAROCHE (*1797), The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, circa 1858, steel engraving

P. MERCURI (*1804) after DELAROCHE (*1797), The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, circa 1858, steel engraving Paolo Mercuri (1804 Rome – 1884 Bucharest) after Paul Delaroche (1797 Paris – 1856 ibid.): The Execution of Lady Jane Grey, c. 1858, steel engraving Technique: Steel engraving on paper Inscription: Signed on the printing plate at the bottom: "Peint par Paul De la Roche / Gravé par P. Mercuri." Inscribed at the bottom of the printing plate: “Tiré de la Galerie du Prince Anatole Demidoff / Imprimé par Goupil & Cie à Paris.” Date: c. 1858 Description: Since the Thames flood of 1928, Paul Delaroche’s dramatic history painting was considered lost until it was rediscovered in 1973 and is now one of the most popular exhibits at the National Gallery in London. *The Execution of Lady Jane Grey* is regarded as Delaroche’s masterpiece, which vividly captures the historicizing scene of the execution of the English “Nine Days’ Queen,” Jane Grey (1536–1554). As the great-granddaughter of King Henry VII Tudor, Jane Grey was taken under his wing at a young age and raised to be an educated lady who embraced the Protestant faith; not least for this reason, she was preferred over her sister Mary in the line of succession to the throne by the last will of King Edward VI. Just nine days after her proclamation, however, she was captured and executed by Mary. She was soon regarded as a martyr and victim of her cousin Queen Mary I Tudor, especially among followers of the Protestant faith. Delaroche, who is known for his rather gloomy historical paintings that more often epitomize decline than triumph, may have been inspired by Madame de Staël’s play *Jane Grey*, published in 1790. The 1825 translation of Harris Nicolas’ *The Literary Remains of Lady Jane Grey* also brought the cult-like veneration of Jane Grey to the forefront in France. The subject of royal executions still held contemporary historical relevance in France, particularly in light of the beheading of Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI as a result of the French Revolution, and Delaroche was also concerned with its pictorial representation. Over many years, Delaroche studied the fate of the “Nine-Day Queen” and traveled to England himself to experience the scene of the event firsthand. Only this willingness to conduct research and an enthusiastic dedication to the subject matter could have led to the creation of this gripping oil painting. For the basic arrangement of figures, Delaroche drew inspiration from John Opie’s engraving *Execution of Mary Stuart* and adapted the previously rare motif of the execution itself to the depiction of Jane Grey. Carefully selected figures, whose postures and expressions convey a variety of emotions, stand around Jane Grey, who is condemned to death and, blindfolded and with uncertain gestures, gropes for the execution block. The sensitively composed iconography owes its depth to the artist’s intensive examination of the fate of the heir to the throne and the preparation of the painting through countless sketches and drafts, but also demonstrates artistic freedom and an orientation toward dramatic theater. With comparably high standards, Delaroche criticized his contemporaries for the often imprecise production of engraved reproductions of their paintings and therefore attached great importance to the high-quality dissemination of his own works. It is known that, for *The Execution of Jane Grey*, he entered into a contract with the publisher Adolphe Goupil as early as 1835, which ensured the high quality of the reproductions. The collaboration with the engraver Paolo Mercuri began soon after but was not finalized until the middle of the century. The painting’s clarity and the distinct arrangement of figures provided ideal conditions for its realization as a print, but also inspired theatrical plays and tableaux vivants, which attest to the painting’s enduring popularity to this day. Keywords: 1928 Thames Flood; History painting; Paul Delaroche; National Gallery in London; Execution of Lady Jane Grey; Nine Days’ Queen; Jane Grey; King Henry VII; Tudor; Protestant faith; Succession to the throne; Queen Mary I; Tudor; Madame de Staël; Harris, Nicolas; The Literary Remains of Lady Jane Grey; French Revolution; Marie Antoinette; King Louis XVI; ; Constellation of figures; John Opie’s engraving *The Execution of Mary Stuart*; Oil painting; Iconography; Sketches; Sketches; Dramatic theater; Reproductions; Adolphe Goupil; Paolo Mercuri; Prints; Plays; Tableaux vivants, 19th century, Romanticism, Genre, United Kingdom, Size: Paper: 46.0 cm x 51.4 cm (18.1 x 20.2 in), Plate: 43.2 cm x 48.6 cm (17 x 19.1 in), Image area: 28.9 cm x 35.2 cm (11.4 x 13.9 in) Condition: Very good condition. Slight black line at the top of the left column.