Queen's Closet
Date1995
Artist
Richard Cleaver
(American sculptor, born 1952)
MediumCeramic, wood, and beads
Dimensions87 × 37 × 15 in. (221 × 94 × 38.1 cm)
Credit LineLouisa du Pont Copeland Memorial Fund, 1998
Object number1998-2
On View
On viewCollections
ClassificationsSCULPTURE
Label TextFascinated with history, Richard Cleaver creates elaborate cabinets full of hidden compartments to capture the lives and secrets of historical figures. In this work the artist focused on King Henry VIII of England, famous for divorcing or executing his wives when they failed to produce a male heir to the throne. When compartments are opened and knobs turned, the cabinet’s interior reveals portraits of Henry’s six wives.
