Friedman 1976, p. 198, n. 388, and p. 240. Engravings: W. C. Wilson, published 29 September 1796, for 1802 Boydell edition of Shakespeare's plays, facing p. 76 of King Henry VIII, 10 5/8 x 6 1/2 in. (border of image and margin)
Provenance
Provenance: Commissioned by Alderman John Boydell for the Shakespeare Gallery; sold by lottery 28 January 1805 and won by William Tassie; sold by Christie 17 May 1805, no. 13, as "Wolsey disgraced and receiving the discovered Paper from Henry the VIIIth-very fine," bought by John Mehux, Esq., for 15 guineas (£15.15.0)
Source of acquisition
G. Michelmore & Co., Rare Books, Autographs, Manuscripts, 5 Royal Opera Arcade, Pall Mall, London SW1, October 1922, £125 (£250 for this picture and no. 57)
Exhibited
Exhibited: London, Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, "A Catalogue of Small Pictures Painted for the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall," (bound with the 1794 edition of the catalogue of the large paintings, but the number sequence begins again at "1"), 1795, no. 22; London, Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, "A Catalogue of Small PIctures Painted for the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall," (bound with the 1796 edition of the catalogue of the large paintings, but the number sequence begins again at "1"), 1796, no. 25; London, Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, "A Catlogue of the Pictures &c. in the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall" and "A Catalogue of Small Pictures Painted for the Shakspeare Gallery, Pall-Mall" (only one number sequence for both large and small paintings), 1802, no. 135; London, Boydell Shakespeare Gallery, "The Exhibition of the Shakspeare Galley, Pall-Mall," (last time paintings were shown together; preparatory to their sale), 1805, no. 112. Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, 2010. Vivat Rex! (catalog entry 79) Washington, D.C., Folger Shakespeare Library, 2007. Marketing Shakespeare.
Cited/described in
Pressly, W.L. Paintings in the Folger Shakespeare Library, 85
