Portraiture is in the frame of London’s art scene this year. The National Portrait Gallery reopened its doors on 22 June; a portrait of King Charles commissioned for Tatler’s July issue was unveiled at Sotheby’s; and now a new Buckingham Palace exhibition showcasing the work of Hans Holbein the Younger has been announced by the Royal Collection Trust.
Starring Jude Law as King Henry VIII and Alicia Vikander as his sixth – and final – wife, Katherine Parr, Karim Aïnouz’s Firebrand received an eight-minute standing ovation at Cannes Film Festival
Holbein is remembered as the most celebrated painter of the Tudor period. From his famous portrait of Henry VIII, to The Ambassadors, depicting two visitors at the English Tudor court, Holbein’s paintings have come to define an age of British history. Born in 1497, the artist spent two periods of his life in England portraying the nobility of the Tudor court, in 1526-8 and 1532-43. His paintings cemented friendships, marked occasions and were a powerful tool in dynastic negotiations.
Now, a major exhibition displaying the Tudor painter’s exquisite work is coming to Buckingham Palace. ‘Holbein at the Tudor Court’ will represent the largest group of Holbein’s work from the Royal Collection Trust to be exhibited in over 30 years. Visitors will be able to explore his career in England ‘from itinerant artist to king’s painter,’ and look at how the vibrant court culture of England formed a fertile ground for his future success. It will chart his arrival in England for the first time in 1526, and show his rise to success, and how he became the most sought-after portraitist at the Tudor court.
More than 100 works from Henry VIII’s court will be brought together, including drawings, paintings and miniatures. The heart of the exhibition will showcase more than 40 portrait drawings that Holbein made during personal sittings. The sketches were made in preparation for finished paintings, and it was in these that Holbein sought to capture the essence of the sitter. Sketches include those of Princess Mary, who later became Queen of England, Prince Edward, who later became King Edward VI, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Sir Thomas More. The drawings cannot be on permanent display due to conservation reasons, so visitors will be given a rare opportunity to study Holbein’s methodology.
The portrait of Katherine Parr, who survived her husband, is the only contemporary painting of the subject in private hands
Two preparatory drawings will be displayed alongside their finished paintings, showing visitors that the ‘process of transfer was not a matter of simple copying from paper to panel, and that Holbein’s mastery of the portrait included the ability to flatter his subject through subtle alterations and emphases,’ explains the Royal Collection Trust. These depict William Reskimer, who held a number of minor positions in Henry VIII’s court, and Sir Henry Guildford, an English courtier who was Master of the Horse and Comptroller of the Royal Household during the time of Henry VIII.
The Tudor artefact, inscribed with Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon’s initials, was uncovered in Warwickshire
Kate Heard, curator of ‘Holbein at the Tudor Court’, said: ‘Holbein’s brilliant success at the Tudor court was due to his mastery of his art. His exquisite drawings and paintings were made using the techniques he had learned as an apprentice, but his impressive skill with these traditional materials saw him celebrated by contemporaries, as he is still celebrated today. It is easy to understand why the men and women of Henry VIII’s court sought a portrait from Holbein as a mark of success, a record of a loved one or a gift between friends. Looking closely at the pieces in the exhibition, we can see Holbein at work, refining and altering as he goes to achieve the most perfect image that he can create. Close examination and technical analysis has allowed us to understand more about these endlessly fascinating works, which reveal so much about Holbein and his work as an artist in Tudor England.’
Holbein at the Tudor Court will be at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace from 10 November 2023 – 14 April 2024.
