A collection of portraits made during Hans Holbein's time as the leading artist at the court of Henry VIII.
Hans Holbein the Younger (1497-1543) first went to England in 1526, and by 1535 he was King's Painter to Henry VIII. Holbein at the Tudor Court focuses on the internationally significant collection of portraits by Holbein from that period that is part of the Royal Collection. Along with beautiful reproductions of Holbein's drawings, miniatures, and paintings, the book offers an introductory essay as the artist of the Tudor court in England, as well as a series of entries on individual works. It delivers insights about the portraits and their subjects, and it also brings in voices from the period, as found in letters, poems, administrative records, and diplomatic accounts, to bring the world of the sixteenth-century English court to life.
Portraits have played a central role in shaping the image of Monarchy. They have helped legitimise claims to the throne, reinforced dynastic ambitions, cemented political alliances, accompanied proposals of marriage, and even offered a glimpse into the private life of the royal family.
The Royal Portrait: Image and Impact brings together iconic images of kings and queens by some of the most celebrated portrait artists, including Holbein, Van Dyck, Gainsborough, Lawrence and Freud. It looks at the creation of a monarch's identity through portraiture over the past 600 years, assessing the influence of patron, artist and audience. The story is brought up to date with images of Her Majesty The Queen, including the work of the photographers Rankin and Annie Leibovitz, as the author considers the relevance of the royal portrait in the age of paparazzo photography and global media.
