A Surfeit of Eels

Henry I was the fourth son of William I the Conqueror the first King of England after the Norman Conquest of 1066. He succeeded his elder brother William II as King of England in 1100 and defeated his eldest brother, Robert Curthose, to become Duke of Normandy in 1106. Henry died of food poisoning from eating "a surfeit of lampreys" (of which he was excessively fond). Henry's last words were reported to have been: "I can't help myself. The eels, they keep calling my name...."

Mick Reasor
Gouache on Rives BFK, 2.5x3.5 inches, 2008