For the past 40 years, the tales of Blackadder have been the stuff of legends – from gracing Queen Elizabeth I’s royal court to facing battle in World War I.
So it should come as no surprise that Rowan Atkinson’s side-splitting character would be honoured with his very own perfectly poised portrait propped up in one of England’s grandest mansions.
The sight of the fictional character did come as a huge surprise to onlookers paying a visit to the stately house – so much so that several of them had no idea who the subject of the artwork was, mistaking him for an actual historical figure.
The painting was unveiled by Sir Tony Robinson, who starred as Blackadder’s dogsbody Baldrick, as he stood next to members of the public waiting to see if they recognised him or the sitter.
The guesses as to who the person in the portrait could be ranged from Shakespeare to even Henry VIII, despite the obvious lack of the Tudor king’s ginger hair.
How anyone could mistake the iconic, the one-and-only Blackadder for anyone else is beyond us!
The oil painting was created by the talented artist Tom Croft, who took more than 60 hours to complete it, staying true to the theme of Blackadder’s Elizabethan garb by using artistic techniques from the era.
To ensure his artwork stayed as true to life as possible, he rewatched the second series of Blackadder on repeat for reference.
Not a bad way to spend some free time!
The painting was placed on the wall of Audley End House, a historic Jacobean mansion in Essex and an English Heritage site.
It’s incredible to think that it’s been nearly half a century since Blackadder was first introduced – and to mark the occasion, TV channel Gold is releasing new documentaries about how the show was made.
Blackadder first premiered in 1983 on BBC One, airing until 1989. Three specials aired – two in 1988 and one on New Year’s Eve in 1999 – with Sir Tony’s Baldrick also recently making a return to read the tale Balderella for this year’s Red Nose Day.
‘What an honour to have been asked to unveil this incredible painting – and what a cunning plan to have it installed by Gold in such an extraordinary location to celebrate 40 years of Blackadder,’ said Sir Tony.
‘Tom Croft did an amazing job at capturing Edmund’s witty expression, and I know Baldrick would be thrilled to see his hero hanging at Audley End House.’
The portrait of Rowan’s Blackadder now joins other pieces by renowned artists such as Hans Holbein and Sir Anthony Van Dyck being displayed at the famous mansion.
‘We also have an extensive collection of royal portraits, including Elizabeth I herself, so it seems only fitting that her court nobleman Edmund Blackadder should be displayed alongside her. After all, he’s been TV royalty in his own right for the past 40 years!’ said Peter Moore, English Heritage’s Curator of Collections and Interiors at Audley End House.
Gold also celebrated Blackadder’s anniversary with a poll of 2,000 Brits quizzing them about how they feel regarding the series, with 71% saying that in their view, it’s the funniest UK sitcom ever.
All episodes of Blackadder are available to watch on Gold ahead of the 40th anniversary on June 15.
Documentaries Blackadder: The Lost Pilot and Blackadder: A Cunning Story are due to air on June 15 and June 16 at 9pm respectively on Gold.
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