Hampton Court By Tram poster Charles Paine 1922 – Henry VIII print – London Transport poster

Hampton Court By Tram poster Charles Paine 1922 – Henry VIII print – London Transport poster We absolutely love Charles Paine’s Hampton Court By Tram poster. Through his artwork, the artist offers a unique perspective on one of history’s most famous stories: that of King Henry VIII and his six wives. Paine brings a bright, colourful, and humorous perspective to a dark, macabre part of English history, that was perpetuated by Henry VIII’s psychopathic tendencies. Charles Paine’s Hampton Court By Tram poster is a delightful portrayal of King Henry VIII as a royal gardener, complete with a garden rake in his hand and a red watering can at his feet. The six wives are cleverly depicted as potted plants, trimmed into the ornate shapes of the topiary tradition that was popular during the Renaissance in England. All six of Henry VIIIs wives are present and dressed in colourful medieval ball gowns nestled amongst the lush foliage of a beautiful garden, which is also home to several majestic peacocks. While all six wives are present in the artwork, it seems that Paine has only depicted one of them losing their head. As many people know, there is an age-old adage that helps us remember the fates of each wife: ‘Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.’ This popular saying reminds us that two of Henry’s queens, Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, met a grizzly fate at the executioner’s block. It’s unclear why Paine chose to spare the other queen’s head. Did Paine get his history wrong or has he portrayed Henry the gardener as being too busy tending to his topiary to carry out his grisly duties? Whilst King Henry VIII is probably best remembered for the way he dealt with his six wives, the dissolution of the monasteries, the founding of the Church of England and his love of feasting. It is a lesser-known fact that he did indeed have a love for his expansive gardens. When Henry VIII moved into Hampton Court in 1528, he commissioned one of the best gardens in the country. The privy garden or private garden was laid out in heraldic fashion by low rails and nine-foot tall poles on top of which stood carvings of heraldic beasts holding guilded weather vanes. Henry had it created as a  quiet space for the monarch’s exclusive use. Two versions of this Hampton Court by Tram poster are known to exist. The first was produced with an incipid grey and yellow background that was made it difficult to distinguish the details of the poster’s illustration. This second version is dominated by the regal colour purple which make the poster more eye-catching and allows the detail to stand out. The clever choice of colour also has a historical significance. In medieval times, dyes were made from natural sources, and the process of creating purple dye was particularly difficult and expensive. Purple dye was created from the mucus of a type of sea snail called the Murex, which was found in the Mediterranean Sea. It was difficult to obtain enough of the dye to create a large amount of fabric, making it a luxury item. Because purple was so expensive, it became associated with royalty and the wealthy upper classes. During the reign of Henry VIII, purple was not only worn by the king himself but also by members of his court and other nobles. It was a symbol of power, wealth, and social status, and wearing it conveyed a sense of prestige and importance. The six wives of Henry VIII Paine’s whimsical and colourful poster artwork style is obviously influenced by his background in stained glass art. The bold lines and vibrant colors used in the poster are reminiscent of the intricate designs found in stained glass windows. Paine’s experience in this medium has clearly influenced his approach to creating this playful take on the story of Henry VIII and his six wives. Henry VIII is one of England’s most well-known monarchs, in part due to his many marriages. Over the course of his life, he married six times, with each marriage playing a significant role in the political and religious history of England. Here’s a closer look at each of Henry VIII’s wives: Catherine of Aragon: Catherine of Aragon was Henry VIII’s first wife and queen of England from 1509 to 1533. She was the daughter of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile, and she had previously been married to Henry’s older brother, Arthur. When Arthur died in 1502, Catherine remained in England and eventually married Henry in 1509. Despite initially having a loving relationship, Henry and Catherine’s marriage eventually fell apart due to their inability to produce a male heir. Henry sought to have the marriage annulled so that he could marry Anne Boleyn, but the Pope refused to grant the annulment. This led to Henry breaking away from the Catholic Church and establishing the Church of England. Anne Boleyn: Anne Boleyn was Henry VIII’s second wife and queen of England from 1533 to 1536. She was a lady-in-waiting to Catherine of Aragon before catching Henry’s eye. Anne refused to become Henry’s mistress and instead pushed for marriage, which Henry eventually agreed to after the failure of his marriage to Catherine. Anne’s marriage to Henry was tumultuous, and she faced many challenges as queen. She was unable to produce a male heir and faced opposition from both the Catholic Church and the English nobility. She was eventually accused of adultery and treason and was executed in 1536. Jane Seymour: Jane Seymour was Henry VIII’s third wife and queen of England from 1536 to 1537. She was a lady-in-waiting to both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn and caught Henry’s eye shortly after Anne’s execution. Jane’s marriage to Henry was successful in that she was able to give birth to a male heir, Edward VI. However, she died shortly after giving birth, which devastated Henry. Anne of Cleves: Anne of Cleves was Henry VIII’s fourth wife and queen of England for a brief period in 1540. She was a German princess who was chosen as a political match for Henry. However, when Henry met Anne in person, he found her unattractive and immediately sought to have the marriage annulled. The annulment was granted, and Anne was able to live out the rest of her life in England as a wealthy and respected woman. Catherine Howard: Catherine Howard was Henry VIII’s fifth wife and queen of England from 1540 to 1541. She was a cousin to Anne Boleyn and caught Henry’s eye when she was a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves. Catherine’s marriage to Henry was troubled from the start. She was accused of adultery and treason, and despite her young age, was executed in 1542. Catherine Parr: Catherine Parr was Henry VIII’s sixth and final wife, and queen of England from 1543 to 1547. She was a lady-in-waiting to Anne of Cleves and caught Henry’s eye after the death of his fifth wife. Catherine’s marriage to Henry was successful, and she was able to use her influence to promote religious reform in England. After Henry’s death, she remarried and continued to play a significant role in English politics until her own death in 1548. Hampton Court London Transport poster This fabulous poster was designed by Charles Paine in 1921 for the Underground Electric Railways Company Ltd., to advertise visits to Hampton Court by travelling by tram. Hampton Court was a logical destination for the tramline to promote because the company’s trams reached it on the very edge of the city; a long ride meant a higher fare! The palace had been open to the public since the 1830s, but it was only in the 1920s, in part because of posters like the one on this listing advertising the venue, Hampton Court Palace became a popular destination for tourists during the 1920s. The palace’s beautiful architecture, historic significance, and scenic location on the banks of the River Thames made it a must-see attraction for visitors from and to London. The palace was originally built for Thomas Wolsey one of the most powerful figures in 16th-century England. Wolsey had risen from humble beginnings to become a cardinal, chancellor, and one of King Henry VIII’s closest advisors. Wolsey wanted to create a grand building where he could host not only the King and the royal court but also monarchs and religious leads from across Europe. It was intended to be a statement of his wealth, power, and status, and it quickly became a symbol of his position at court. In 1514, he purchased a country house and grounds situated on the banks of the River Thames and began the construction of his lavish palace in 1515. Hampton Court was one of the most significant architectural projects of Wolsey’s career. The palace was designed in the Renaissance style and featured elaborate gardens, ornate courtyards, and grand reception halls. Wolsey spared no expense in its construction, importing Italian craftsmen to work on the building and filling it with expensive artworks and furnishings. Wolsey originally intended to use it as his personal residence In 1518, Wolsey was appointed Lord Chancellor, the highest legal office in England, and he quickly became one of the most powerful men in the country. He used his influence to promote peace with France and the Holy Roman Empire and to secure papal approval for Henry’s divorce from Catherine of Aragon. However, Wolsey’s fortunes began to decline in the 1520s as his efforts to secure the divorce led to a bitter conflict with the pope and his opponents at court. In 1529, Wolsey was dismissed as Lord Chancellor and was stripped of his other titles. He died the following year while on his way to London to face charges of treason. After Wolsey’s fall from grace, Henry VIII seized the palace in 1529 and made it his own. Henry VIII then made numerous modifications and expansions to the palace including a tennis court, bowling green, and a chapel. By the 1530s, Henry VIII’s Hampton Court was a palace, a hotel, a theatre and a vast leisure complex. In addition to Henry’s state and private apartments, where he slept, ate and relaxed, and the queen’s private apartments, around Base Court, the first big courtyard of the Tudor palace inside the West Front, there were 30 suites of lodgings used for the grandest visitors. The style depended on the status of the occupant but they were always designed to impress. The King used Hampton Court to demonstrate his magnificence and power in every possible way, through lavish banquets, extravagant court life and fabulously expensive art. The gardens and hunting grounds at Hampton Court continued to be developed and expanded over the years turning the estate into the magnificent Tudor palace we know today. The 1922  Hampton Court By Tram poster by Charles Paine was part of a continuing and ever-growing campaign to increase passenger traffic on the Underground network by persuading Londoners to use their leisure time for day trips and weekend jaunts to historic houses, museums, suburban beauty spots and parks. In this particular case, it was to encourage city dwellers to get out of the hectic city and enjoy the historic delights of London’s Hampton Court. Paine’s light-hearted portrayal of Henry VIII as the medieval green-eyed, psychopath couldn’t be further away from the image Henry displayed in the painting by Hal Holbein, that of a stoic strong regal king. Other Charles Paine posters Charles Paine’s career accomplishments are extensive. His work encompasses stained glass, book illustration, watercolour and acrylic painting. It includes interior design, commercial advertising, teaching, as well as textile and wallpaper design. Today he is probably best known for his many poster designs for companies, including London Underground, Empire Marketing Board, and the GPO, and his work for Penguin Books, and Sundour Fabrics. The Pendleton-born artist was clearly a gifted talent in the art and crafts tradition. Starting out at the Salford School of Art in Manchester, Paine was apprenticed to the craft of making stained glass. Paine honed his craft at the Royal College of Art before leaving London to work for the Applied Art Department of Edinburgh College of Art under John Platt, who had a significant influence on Paine’s work. It’s believed that Platt introduced him to Frank Pick, who commissioned Paine to design many posters for the London Underground. Whilst Charles Paine produced posters for a range of companies it is his iconic work for various London transport organisations that he is best remembered for. His breathtaking designs adorned underground, bus and tram stations for nearly a decade. From 1920 to 1929, Paine created more than 20 stunning posters that captured the essence of the city and its culture. Among his most cherished designs are those that continue to captivate audiences with their timeless beauty and charm including his fabulous 1922 Kingston By Tram poster that features the four white Kingston Swans zig-zagging down the River Thames. It was the first poster the artist created for the London Transport company. One of his most eye-catching designs is the 1921 Uxbridge poster that depicts 13 golden and one red fish swimming in blue and teal waters. In 2013, Paine’s Uxbridge (fishes) poster design was one of three Paine posters featured in the 150 best posters exhibited by London Underground during the 150th-anniversary celebrations. The other two were probably his two most popular and recognised designs, which, even if you didn’t know the artist by name, have become iconic images of the golden age of the underground and are familiar to most people. The first is his 1921 For the Zoo poster which depicts a waddle of blue, black and white penguins set against a yellow background. It is one of the underground’s most iconic posters and is highly sought after with one original copy selling for almost £10,000 back in 2013. The other Underground poster to feature in the 150th-anniversary celebrations was the 1925 Richmond Park poster that combines natural elements with history in the shape of the park’s wildlife and the famous 750-year-old oak tree, known as the Royal Oak. Another poster by the Mancunian-born artist we’d like to include is his Barnet by Tram poster created in 1922. The design published by the Underground Electric Railways Company of London features an superb image of seven ponies corralled at the Barnet horse fair… an annual horse and pleasure fair that used to be held near Mays Lane, Barnet, England. One poster Paine created for the London Underground was used to advertise an important sporting event rather than a specific tube destination.  It was the poster advertising the 1923 Boat race between Oxford and Cambridge. The spectacular poster appeared in the tube train carriages across London in February and March 1923. Paine’s simple graphic shapes, dynamic compositions and use of bold, flat colours were a perfect solution for poster design. Paine’s style was innovative, departing from the standard advertising of the time, which often featured literal representations of the subject. Instead, he used simplified forms and large blocks of colour, making his posters interesting, eye-catching and effective. His limited use of colour also made the posters economical to reproduce, and by the mid-1920s, other poster artists widely copied his approach.