Portrait of Henry VIII at Age 49

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Portrait of Henry VIII at Age 49
Enrique VIII de Inglaterra, por Hans Holbein el Joven.jpg
ANNO AETATIS - SVAE XLIX
Artist Hans Holbein the Younger
Year1540
Catalogue117
Mediumoil on wood
Subject Henry VIII
Dimensions88.5 cm× 74.5 cm(34.8 in× 29.3 in)
Location Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome, Italy
Accession878

Portrait of Henry VIII at Age 49, or Portrait of Henry VIII, is a painting completed in 1540, by Hans Holbein the Younger, who served as a court painter to Henry VIII over the course of 11 years in England. [1] [2] [3]

Contents

The painting was made 3 years after the famed Portrait of Henry VIII, or the Whitehall Mural, which was destroyed by fire in 1698. [4] Among the many royal portraits commissioned in Holbein's time, this painting is currently held by the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica. [3]

Description

From 1532 to his death in 1543, Holbein was welcomed into the court of Henry VIII, amidst the turmoil of the Reformation in the city of Basel, as a way to continue artistic expression during iconoclasm. [5]

From his earlier stays in 1528, his reputation spread through previous commissions like Portrait of Sir Thomas More (1527), as well as portraits of Lutheran merchants, with a 1533 commission during the procession of Anne Boleyn earning him a spot in the royal court. [5] Seen as "the King's Painter" by Nicholas Bourbon, the court poet, Holbein's many portraits were utilized as propaganda that helped rehabbed and elevated Henry amidst scandals and the establishment of the Church of England. [5]

The famed and lost Whitehall Mural in 1537 commemorated the birth of Edward VI. [6] Many other commissions in that time presented life events such as Henry's multiple marriages, often coordinated with Thomas Cromwell. [5]

Anne of Cleves, by Hans Holbein (1539), commissioned prior to the wedding Anne de Cleves - Hans Holbein le Jeune - Musee du Louvre Peintures INV 1348 ; MR 756 - version 2.jpg
Anne of Cleves, by Hans Holbein (1539), commissioned prior to the wedding

Henry married his fourth wife, Anne of Cleves, in January 1540. [1] [5] This official portrait was commissioned accordingly to carry out the message of the king's authority. [1] Instead of a scepter or crown, Holbein depicts Henry holding a glove on one hand, and the other hand holding his sword-hilt. With emphasis on his clothing and jewelry, as well as the choice of having a smaller canvas to increase the coverage of his body, emphasis is placed on Henry's imposing size and authority. [1] [3]

The inscription: ANNO ÆTATIS - SVÆ XLIX, dates the painting to 1540, with Henry at the age of 49. [1] [3]

Exhibition and display

A permanent part of the Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica, in 2025, the 1540 portrait is loan to the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut as part of an exchange with the Galleria Nazionale, which borrowed Caravaggio's Saint Francis of Assisi in Ecstasy for a retrospective special exhibit. [1] [7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Hans Holbein's Henry VIII". Wadsworth Atheneum Museum of Art. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  2. ↑ "Hans Holbein the Younger | Biography, Art, Paintings, Ambassadors, Henry VIII, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Portrait of Henry VIII | Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini". barberinicorsini.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  4. ↑ "Portraits of King Henry VIII: The Whitehall Mural and Full-length Portraits". www.luminarium.org. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Hans Holbein the Younger Paintings, Bio, Ideas". The Art Story. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  6. ↑ "King Henry VIII; King Henry VII - National Portrait Gallery". www.npg.org.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-22.
  7. ↑ "Caravaggio 2025 | Gallerie Nazionali Barberini Corsini". barberinicorsini.org. Retrieved 2025-06-23.
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