John Blanke , three 25 by 35 cm canvases, 2014
Painting John Blanke – is a study in acrylic paints on three 25 by 305cm oil board – eventually to be painted on three larger canvases in oils.
John Blanke is the earliest identifiable person of Black African descent to be portrayed in sixteenth-century British art. His iconic image is depicted twice on the 60 foot long Westminster tournament roll of 1511, produced to commentate the Henry VIII’s celebratory joust on the birth of his son following his marriage to Kathrine of Argon. John Blanke has an entry in the Oxford National Dictionary of Biography.
When I was asked to produce a painting of John Blanke I found there to be no detailed portrait of him. I have chosen a friend and fellow performer Randolph Mathews to be him in this representation.
I was particularly inspired to create this composition when I heard that research by Dr Miranda Kaufmann had revealed a document in which John Blanke petitioned Henry VIII not only for a pension but a pay rise!
I was struck by John Blanke’s ability to do this in early 16th Century England. As most of the Court of Henry XVIII would have been unable to write they would have to have had access to clerks, who would have been able to write such petitioning letters.
However as an SGI Buddhist , I am a believer of the past effecting our present therefore our present, "who we are, what we do right now, effects everything way into the future. I have therefore created a composition that I hope reflects my beliefs.
The table in my painting represents a time line and the trumpet the centre of a sort of seesaw and connection from John Blanke’s time to our present day.
I have chosen the face of John Blanke to be a that of Randolph Matthews, he is seated before a computer.
I have him seated in front of a computer because Randloph is as I would imagine John Blanke to look and also because he is an amazingly gifted performer and communicator able to interact with an audience in an inspirational informed way, the computer is a natural tool.
Randloph will add to “the bringing alive” of this wonderful Black British presence of our past. I have used the same colours for Randloph’s T-shirt as in John Blanke’s picture , wearing a hat that is still worn all over Africa and here in the West, to replace John Blanke’s Turban.
John Blanke is the earliest identifiable person of Black African descent to be portrayed in sixteenth-century British art. His iconic image is depicted twice on the 60 foot long Westminster tournament roll of 1511, produced to commentate the Henry VIII’s celebratory joust on the birth of his son following his marriage to Kathrine of Argon. John Blanke has an entry in the Oxford National Dictionary of Biography.
When I was asked to produce a painting of John Blanke I found there to be no detailed portrait of him. I have chosen a friend and fellow performer Randolph Mathews to be him in this representation.
I was particularly inspired to create this composition when I heard that research by Dr Miranda Kaufmann had revealed a document in which John Blanke petitioned Henry VIII not only for a pension but a pay rise!
I was struck by John Blanke’s ability to do this in early 16th Century England. As most of the Court of Henry XVIII would have been unable to write they would have to have had access to clerks, who would have been able to write such petitioning letters.
However as an SGI Buddhist , I am a believer of the past effecting our present therefore our present, "who we are, what we do right now, effects everything way into the future. I have therefore created a composition that I hope reflects my beliefs.
The table in my painting represents a time line and the trumpet the centre of a sort of seesaw and connection from John Blanke’s time to our present day.
I have chosen the face of John Blanke to be a that of Randolph Matthews, he is seated before a computer.
I have him seated in front of a computer because Randloph is as I would imagine John Blanke to look and also because he is an amazingly gifted performer and communicator able to interact with an audience in an inspirational informed way, the computer is a natural tool.
Randloph will add to “the bringing alive” of this wonderful Black British presence of our past. I have used the same colours for Randloph’s T-shirt as in John Blanke’s picture , wearing a hat that is still worn all over Africa and here in the West, to replace John Blanke’s Turban.
