In
1494 Charles VIII of France invaded the Kingdom of Naples and witnessed the new
development in art and thinking, that we now call the Renaissance, and brought
it North to France. This movement
radiated out to the rest of Northern Europe in what we call the Northern
Renaissance. In some countries there was a rivalry between in the kings as to
who could be the best. This rivalry played out in many ways including the grandeur
of their architecture and gardens. King Francis I of France built his hunting
lodge, Château de Chambord, from 1519-1547. After seeing this, King Henry VIII decided
he needed his own palace and it needed to be better. I will leave it superiority
to the reader’s discretion, but the Hampton courts garden was definitely supposed
to intimidate visitors; if not through the size and greenery than through the painted-sculpture
animals, both real and mythological, mounted on posts which lined the entrance and
were dispersed through the garden. These heraldic creatures were called the
King’s Beasts and were used to displayed his power and proclaim the stability
of his empire. I will focus on two of the
Beasts that are mounted along the entrance over the moat.
The Crowned
Golden Lion
The golden lion has been used on the
royal coat of arms dating back to King Richard I in about 1189. The coat of
arms has gone through many variations. However, during the reign of King Henry VIII
the coat of arms comprised of the French Modern and English Quarterly with
supports of a crowned golden lion and a red dragon (I will explain the
significance of the red dragon in the next section). Basically this means that
the coat of arms was comprised of symbols from France and England (and Whales:
Red Dragon). One might wonder why there is French symbolism on the English coat
of arms (golden fleur de lys on blue background). The answer is simple. England
wanted to rule France, and by putting French symbolism on the coat of arms,
they were laying claim on France. Many English kings and queens between 1340’s
and the 19th century even went so far as to put “king/queen of France”
in their title, despite the fact that France had their own
monarchy/government. Thus by putting a
crowned golden lion Beast (symbol of England monarchy) holding the
English(/French) coat of arms at the entrance to Hampton court, King Henry VIII
proclaimed the owner of the house and all of the power they held.
This
particular Beast is holding a shield with the impaled arms of King Henry VIII
and Queen Jane Seymour. This is means that the shield shares the two arms.
Queen Jane Seymour was the third wife of King Henry VIII who died from child
birth complications and was the only wife of King Henry VIII to be given a
queen’s funeral.
The
Red Dragon of Wales
Another Beast that lines the moat to
Hampton Court is of a dragon holding a shield with the coat of arms of England
(with French symbolism). The dragon
represents the Red Dragon of Wales. During King Henry VIII’s reign he oversaw
the legal union of England and Wales with the Laws and Wales Acts 1535 and
1542. To symbolize this union he designated one of the supports of the royal
coat of arms to be a Red Dragon. Thus makes the two supports of the coat of
arms the Crowned Golden Lion (England) and the Red Dragon (Wales). This beast is another display of King Henry
VIII’s power and expansive rule.
The
goal of these Beasts was to display the power of King Henry VIII and to
discourage anyone to mess with him or his Kingdom. Ah, the power of garden art.
Sources:
http://www.slideshare.net/colourman/the-kings-beasts (image source)
Great to take one element we have talked briefly about and to analyze it in detail - adds another layer to the story. Wales (red dragon) also significant because Henry's family - the Tudors - were of Welsh origin
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoy that you examined the beasts in detail. I visited Hampton Court Palace a few summers ago, but I was unaware of the specific meaning and significance of the various beasts. It's nice to have the visual depiction of the beasts both painted and unpainted - they have such a different effect when adorned with such garish colors.
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