In this iconoclastic woodcut allegory of the English Reformation, King Henry VIII sits enthroned on a raised dais over Pope Clement VII ("P. Clem" [Pope Clement]), whose tiara lies discarded before him. John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester ("B. Fisher" [Bishop Fisher]) bends over the pope, while Cardinal Reginald Pole ("Pole D" [Doctor Pole]) looks up at Henry from the king's left. Thomas Cromwell ("Cromwe" [Cromwell]), Henry's vicegerent for religious affairs, and Thomas Cranmer ("Cranmer"), Archbishop of Canterbury, receive the English Bible from Henry, who holds a sword that symbolizes his temporal authority over the church. The presence of the sword and the book in this image echoes similar designs that appear on title pages of vernacular English Bibles, which were published with crown approval in the 1530s. Alarmed, the Catholic clergy mourn Clement's fall, while other courtiers observe from both sides of the throne. The Royal Arms above Henry's head accentuates the king's newfound primacy over the Church of Rome. This woodcut appears in the second (1570) and third (1576) editions at Foxe's discussion of the Act of Supremacy (1534), which legalized Henry's authority as Supreme Head of the Church of England. The image appears in the fourth edition (1583) at the opening of Foxe's discussion of Henry's entire reign, replacing "King Henry VIII sits in his council chamber with advisers" in that location. Luborsky and Ingram 11223/48. JPEG file (3.98 MB).
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