Adriaen van der Werff (1659 - 1722). Portrait of Thomas Cranmer. Antique engraving on wove paper after the original by master engraver Pieter van Gunst (Dutch, 1658/9 - 1731). Year: 1697. Signed in the plate. Sight Size 7 1/4 x 12 1/4 inches. Framed dimensions approximately 17 x 22 inches. This piece has been professionally matted and framed using all new materials. ***Thomas Cranmer (2 July 1489 – 21 March 1556) was a leader of the English Reformation and Archbishop of Canterbury during the reigns of Henry VIII, Edward VI and, for a short time, Mary I. He helped build the case for the annulment of Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon, which was one of the causes of the separation of the English Church from union with the Holy See. Along with Thomas Cromwell, he supported the principle of royal supremacy, in which the king was considered sovereign over the Church within his realm. After the accession of the Catholic Mary I, Cranmer was put on trial for treason and heresy. Imprisoned for over two years and under pressure from Church authorities, he made several recantations and apparently reconciled himself with the Catholic Church. While this would have normally absolved him, Mary wanted him executed, and he was burned at the stake on 21 March 1556; on the day of his execution, he withdrew his recantations, to die a heretic to Catholics and a martyr for the principles of the English Reformation. This artwork is accompanied by a Gallery Certificate of Authenticity and is Guaranteed as described.