Is This One of the Best History Paintings Ever Made?

The execution of Lady Jane Grey depicted on canvas

The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (1833) by Paul Delaroche. Oil on canvas. 246 × 297 cm. National Gallery, London, UK. Image Source

A woman is blindfolded and lowered to her knees. Her executioner stands patiently nearby, his fingers quietly reaching for a great metal axe.

But with the blindfold, she is unable to find the block. She stretches out her hands and becomes unsteady on her knees, tilting to one side.

She is just a teenager.

According to historical accounts, she cries out: “What shall I do? Where is it?”

Detail of ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ (1833) by Paul Delaroche. Oil on canvas. 246 × 297 cm. National Gallery, London, UK. Image Source

Her hands waver in the damp air of the Tower of London. Noticing her uncertainty, the deputy lieutenant of the Tower, Sir Thomas Brydges, steps forward and helps her locate the block where she should lay her neck.

Detail of ‘The Execution of Lady Jane Grey’ (1833) by Paul Delaroche. Oil on canvas. 246 × 297 cm. National Gallery, London, UK. Image Source

Beneath the block, a carpet of straw has been laid out to soak up the copious amounts of blood that will shortly be spilt.