Reformed Churchmen

We are Confessional Calvinists and a Prayer Book Church-people. In 2012, we remembered the 350th anniversary of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer; also, we remembered the 450th anniversary of John Jewel's sober, scholarly, and Reformed "An Apology of the Church of England." In 2013, we remembered the publication of the "Heidelberg Catechism" and the influence of Reformed theologians in England, including Heinrich Bullinger's Decades. For 2014: Tyndale's NT translation. For 2015, John Roger, Rowland Taylor and Bishop John Hooper's martyrdom, burned at the stakes. Books of the month. December 2014: Alan Jacob's "Book of Common Prayer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Book-Common-Prayer-Biography-Religious/dp/0691154813/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417814005&sr=8-1&keywords=jacobs+book+of+common+prayer. January 2015: A.F. Pollard's "Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation: 1489-1556" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-English-Reformation-1489-1556/dp/1592448658/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420055574&sr=8-1&keywords=A.F.+Pollard+Cranmer. February 2015: Jaspar Ridley's "Thomas Cranmer" at: http://www.amazon.com/Thomas-Cranmer-Jasper-Ridley/dp/0198212879/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422892154&sr=8-1&keywords=jasper+ridley+cranmer&pebp=1422892151110&peasin=198212879

Friday, September 28, 2012

The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2012/09/the-coronation-theatre-westminster.html

The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

Australian painter Ralph Heimans has chosen Westminster Abbey as the location for an official portrait of Her Majesty the Queen in celebration of her Diamond Jubilee. Her Majesty is portrayed standing in the middle of the Cosmati pavement, in the location where she swore her Coronation Oath on 2nd June 1953.

Commenting on his prestigious commission, Ralph Heimans said: "Through the narrative of this portrait I wanted to explore the dynamic between the public role of the Queen and the personal, human dimension. Westminster Abbey is laden with extraordinary power – there isn’t a place more beautiful in this country." The artist spent two evenings at the Abbey earlier this year in preparation for the work.

The Queen is pictured wearing a state dress beneath the crimson velvet Robe of State, which she wore at the Coronation in June 1953, and which she has worn to the State Opening of Parliament each year for the last 60 years. Her diamond necklace and earrings were made for Queen Victoria and were worn by Her Majesty on the day of her Coronation.

Measuring 2.5m high by 3.5m wide, the oil painting, entitled 'The Coronation Theatre, Westminster Abbey: A Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II', was unveiled on Friday 28th September at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra in Australia. It will be exhibited in London in the run-up to the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s Coronation on 2nd June.

The Dean of Westminster Dr John Hall was invited to a private view of the portrait in London last week. He said: "When I first saw it, I found breathtaking the power of the image and the wonderful sense of Her Majesty’s contemplative focus, as well as the depiction of the Abbey in all its grandeur and beauty."

No comments: