William Shakespeare was born in Stratford-upon-Avon, allegedly on April 23, 1564. Young William was the third of eight children of John Shakespeare, a glover and leather merchant, and Mary Arden, a landed heiress.
On September 7, 1533, a baby was born to Henry VIII, the king of England. The infant, later to be known as Elizabeth I, was the culmination of Henry's seven year affair with Anne Boleyn.
Description:
1991 mixed media
11'h x 13'w x 7'd
Two large panels opens like a book to bring this historical couple together. On the floor is a rug, made to look both like a tapestry of William's Globe Theatre and Elizabeth's newly explored World. The hands floating above the panels accentuate the fact that there was a "contract made in heaven" between the two. The hands on the floor represent the applause from the theatrical ranks and English citizenry.
Concepts:
Oil Painting: Main panels.
Country Item: A twelve inch ruler from Stratford on Avon displays an image of Shakespeare. Of course, Elizabeth was his true "ruler".
Contracted Art: Printed transparent film containing sayings and history (and woven into a sheer frontal curtain), was produced by a graphic design firm.
Pun: This piece introduced a quasi-pun that would be present in later pieces as well. Herb would find ways to create a sentence that would have a separate but connected meaning if read quickly. For example, at the top of the piece is a plaque reading "Will unto Liz Inn. Which speaks of the Queens' hospitality to him. And when read fast, the sentence becomes, "Willing to listen", which also demonstrates Elizabeth's willingness to patronize the theatre; and William's ready ear for the Queens' advice.
