Sir Thomas More and his Daughter Possibly 1844

Curator: John Rogers Herbert painted "Sir Thomas More and his Daughter," currently held in the Tate Collection. Editor: It feels heavy, doesn't it? All that deep red and those long shadows. The bars on the window just amplify the sense of confinement. Curator: Herbert was part of the Catholic artistic revival in Victorian England. He portrays More, a Catholic martyr, imprisoned in the Tower of London before his execution. Editor: They're both staring out, but at what? It's like they're looking towards hope, or maybe just the life they're being shut off from. Her face is so stoic. Curator: Indeed. Herbert highlights More's resistance to the King’s supremacy over the Church of England, an act of conscience leading to his death. It speaks to larger themes of power and faith. Editor: It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what you'd stand your ground for, even when staring through those bars. Profound stuff.