Hans Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII, originally commissioned for the Palace of Whitehall, has become the most recognisable image of this infamous monarch. Several different versions of this painting exist and, while AGSA’s painting is not likely to have been painted by Holbein himself, it was certainly painted during the king’s lifetime. Today, Henry VIII is one of the most notorious members of the British royal family, known for his six wives – or perhaps more notably, for his ability to get rid of them!
As the second son of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, Henry Tudor seemed unlikely to inherit the throne, but with the untimely death of his older brother, Arthur, not long after Arthur’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon, Henry became next in line.
In 1509, following his father’s death, he was crowned king and shortly after married his brother’s widow. At the time of his ascension, Henry was considered a great catch – handsome, athletic, rich and powerful – and in the early years of his reign he was liked and admired by his court.
Henry and Catherine were unsuccessful in producing a male heir and Henry became convinced that God was punishing him for marrying his brother’s widow, leading him to believe that his marriage should be annulled. At the same time, Protestantism was spreading across Europe and beginning to take hold in England, with the King and his Court recognising the momentousness of the new movement.
In the early 1530s, Henry broke from Rome and renounced the Pope as the head of the Christian church, placing himself as head of both church and state. Henry could now divorce Catherine of Aragon and marry Anne Boleyn, who became his second wife.
Not long after this marriage, Henry sustained a major injury in the tilt yard, having been knocked unconscious during a joust. Historians have suggested that the King may have sustained a significant brain injury at this time, given that his personality changed significantly and he became volatile, paranoid and liable to angry outbursts. During the joust Henry also received a significant flesh wound on his leg, which caused him trouble for the remainder of his life.
After Hans Holbein The Younger, King Henry VIII, c 1540s, London, oil on wood panel, 65.0 x 57.5cm, 89.5 x 81.5 x 9.0 cm (frame); AM and AR Ragless Bequest Funds 1965, AGSA.
It could be argued that that this incident changed the course of English history, particularly since it was following this misadventure that Henry began to remove each of his wives in rapid succession.
German-born Hans Holbein the Younger was appointed court painter to Henry VIII in 1535 and was pivotal in defining the image of the royal family within the newly established Church of England. Holbein and his contemporaries replaced the Christian iconography of the Catholic Church with a new icon – the king – rendered in much the same way as the figures in traditional religious paintings.
Centrally located within the picture plane, Henry, dressed in the finest garments – woven with silver and gold thread – is depicted in a dominating pose and represents the epitome of royal power.
Recent scientific assessment indicates that no drawing lies beneath the paint layer, although there is evidence of small dots of chalk, indicating the use of a process known as “pouncing”. This was a method of transferring a drawing (on paper) onto the wood panel; small holes were made in the paper to outline the image, with chalk then pushed through these pin holes, removing therefore the need for comprehensive underdrawing.
Infrared imagery has also highlighted the existence of gold and silver leaf under the top paint layers, a technique used in the 16th century to emulate the gold and silver woven textiles favoured by royalty.
Henry VIII has been brought to life on AGSA’s façade in Grand Mix, created by French artists INOOK for Illuminate Adelaide 2024. The imposing Tudor king has become a 21st-century figure singing for the crowds every night. The “real” Henry VIII will be on display in the gallery’s Reimagining the Renaissance exhibition from July 20.
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Tansy Curtin is AGSA’s acting senior curator or international art pre-1980.
Grand Mix, by INOOK, can be viewed on the Art Gallery of SA’s North Terrace façade from 5.30-10.30pm until Sunday, July 21, as part of Illuminate Adelaide’s City Lights program. Reimagining the Renaissance is display at AGSA from July 20, 2024, until April 13, 2025. Entry is free.
This article is part of InReview’s Off the Wall series, in which AGSA curators offer an insight into specific works or displays at the gallery.
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