What secret was discovered beneath the paint of the Anne Boleyn portrait?

Beneath the layers of paint, scientific analysis uncovered an underdrawing suggesting the artist erased evidence of a sixth finger on Anne Boleyn's right hand.

Why did the artist alter the portrait of Anne Boleyn?

The artist likely altered the portrait to debunk contemporary rumors and myths, particularly the claim that Anne Boleyn had a sixth finger, which was used to suggest witchcraft.

When was the Hever 'Rose' portrait of Anne Boleyn created?

Dendrochronological analysis has dated the oak panel of the Hever 'Rose' portrait to approximately 1583, during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I.

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Anne Boleyn Portrait Reveals Secret Artistic Cover-Up

2 Feb

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Summary

Underdrawing reveals artist erased a sixth finger from Anne Boleyn's hand.
Scientific analysis dates the portrait to Elizabeth I's reign.
The change counters claims of witchcraft and supports royal legitimacy.

Anne Boleyn Portrait Reveals Secret Artistic Cover-Up

A remarkable discovery beneath the paint of a portrait at Hever Castle suggests an Elizabethan artist attempted to refute claims that Anne Boleyn possessed a sixth finger. Scientific analysis, including infrared technology, revealed an underdrawing indicating a deliberate alteration to an inherited design.

The oak panel has been dendrochronologically dated to approximately 1583, during the reign of Elizabeth I. This period saw a conscious re-examination of Anne Boleyn's image amidst intense political and religious anxiety. The artist, by showing five digits on each hand, appears to have countered hostile rumors circulated by writers like Nicholas Sanders, who propagated the myth of a sixth finger to undermine Elizabeth I's legitimacy.