Queen's Closet
Cleaver, Richard, Born 1952
1995
mixed media (ceramic, wood, beads)
Louisa du Pont Copeland Memorial Fund, 1998

Captivated by the past, Richard Cleaver makes reference to the untold stories and “secrets” of historical figures. Fact and fiction are encased within his elaborately decorated and beautifully crafted constructions that are at once shrines and finely-made cabinets. In Queen’s Closet, Cleaver focuses on King Henry VIII of England, who rid himself of a succession of wives when they failed to produce a male heir to his throne. When the doors to the large, jewel-encrusted cabinet are opened, heads of his wives are revealed as compartments are opened and a knob is turned to spin figures into view.