Hans Holbein the Younger, Mary Shelton, later Lady Heveningham, c. 1543. Royal Collection Trust.
The Royal Collection of works by one of the great British portraitists – the German-born Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98 to 1543) – is undoubtedly the best in the world, and this autumn it is on display in Holbein at the Tudor Court in the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace. Focussing on his work in the service of King Henry VIII, the exhibition includes richly coloured oils, precisely observed drawings, and delicate miniatures, images of the great and the good of Tudor England. However, there was more to Holbein than astute and apparently realistic portraiture, and to this day his religious painting remains little known in Britain. To introduce the exhibition this two-part talk by Dr Richard Stemp will first look at the artist himself and his origins in Germany and Switzerland, before following him to London and the Tudor Court.
Study evening - includes two lectures, Q&A and a short break. Tickets £20
Part One: Religion and Reform
Born in Augsburg at the end of the 15th Century, and trained by his father, Hans Holbein the Elder, the younger Hans grew up a Catholic, and fulfilled numerous commissions for religious works of art. Despite this, and his deft negotiations to manipulate the complexities of religious reform, his personal faith has always been open to interpretation. In any case, much of his work was also entirely secular, including the decoration of houses, designs for household objects, and, inevitably, the occasional portrait. From Germany he travelled to Switzerland, and thence, with a letter of introduction from the scholar Erasmus, to London. He went back to Basel for four years, before returning to England in 1532, where he was to remain for the rest of his life. This first lecture will cover these early years, up until the creation of his greatest surviving masterpiece, The Ambassadors, painted at the beginning of his second visit to England.
Part Two: Realism and Royalty
On his return to London Holbein’s success with foreign merchants and notable courtiers brought him to the attention of King Henry VIII. He created the definitive image of the king, defining Henry’s ambitions for the Tudor dynasty through a series of portraits which allow a glimpse of the Tudor court, and which not only influenced Henry in his choice of wife, but which have also had repercussions throughout the centuries. His technique can be traced in detail through his drawings, many of which survive, and we will discuss his process in terms of drawing, painting, and the production of miniatures in detail. It is remarkable to realise that he died in his mid-forties, the wealth of material which survives being a tribute to his talent, technique and tenacity.
Holbein at the Tudor Court is at the Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, from 10 November 2023 to 14 April 2024.
Proceeds from ARTscapades ticket sales benefit museums, galleries and other arts-based organisations and projects.
This is an online event hosted on Zoom which can be watched live, or on-demand for one month afterwards. You will receive your link to access the event in your email confirmation and the on-demand link after the event ends.