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Tudor Majesty

Portraiture flourished in sixteenth-century England, especially after the break from the Roman Church limited religious commissions. This striking image of Henry VIII exemplifies Holbein’s mastery. The king faces forward, monumental and composed, his hands steady at his waist. Every line is sharp, every detail intentional. Though rich in surface, the portrait also carries weight beneath the psychological presence of a ruler who shaped history. Through symmetry, stillness, and gaze, Holbein conveys not just a likeness, but authority itself. This work be seen at [The Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid,https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/holbein-hans-joven/portrait-henry-viii-england]

Duration: 00:02:27

Categories: Old Masters,Slow Art

Tags: hans, holbein, younger, portraits, henry, viii, 16_2224_henryviii_portraits_holbein_0227_p14_720.mp4 portraiture was the most popular genre in sixteenth-century england, and indeed one of the few available to artists following the schism between the church of rome and the church of england, of which henry viii became head. this likeness of the famous tudor king is a magnificent example of holbein’s remarkable style, characterised by a monumental rendering of figures which are nonetheless endowed with considerable psychological depth. in this markedly linear portrait, holbein uses the frontal pose of the regal model and the position of his hands to convey the sitter’s powerful personality and majestic bearing.