The Execution of Lady Jane Grey (painting)
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The Execution of Lady Jane Grey is an oil painting by Paul Delaroche conducted in 1833. It is currently housed in the National Gallery in London. The painting is inaccurate in that it represents an execution being clandestinely conducted in a dimly-lit dungeon whereas the execution actually was conducted in the open air in the grounds of the Tower of London. The clothing Lady Jane is shown wearing is also inaccurate: it resembles French undergarments of the time, which were laced at the front, while the English equivalent (which Lady Jane would have worn) were laced at the back.
The painting was made when Charles X of France had been restored to the French throne. Charles X's brother was Louis XVI of France whose throne was "usurped" and who was executed during the French Revolution. It is also redolent of the execution of Marie-Antoinette of Austria. Unsurprisingly, the emotive painting caused something of a sensation.
It was originally bought by Anatole N. Demidoff, 1st Prince of San Donato.