The Arrest and Execution of Sir Thomas More in 1535
by CARON, Antoine, Oil on panel, 116 x 143 cm
Sir Thomas More (1478-1535) was an English lawyer, social philosopher, author, statesman, and noted Renaissance humanist. He was also a Chancellor to Henry VIII, and Lord High Chancellor of England from 1529 to 1532.
More opposed the Protestant Reformation and King Henry VIII’s separation from the Catholic Church, refusing to acknowledge Henry as Supreme Head of the Church of England and the annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon. After refusing to take the Oath of Supremacy, he was convicted of treason and executed.