King Henry VIII’s Painter Reveals Some Well-kept Secrets

A towering figure in historical annals, King Henry VIII held the English throne during the early half of the 1500s. Though widely renowned for his reign, he is infamously known for his unusual, albeit exciting personal life.

For the most part, art scholars are constantly seeking an understanding of vintage creations to deduce why and how they were made. As such, Franny Moyle, a respected art historian, chose to investigate the personal painter of King Henry VIII.

Hans Holbein, a German artist, was known to be among the best portrait painters in history. After seeing some of Holbein’s artworks, King Henry VIII was incredibly impressed that he hired him to paint his portrait.

Having been born into a German family with an artistic background, it wasn’t surprising that Holbein would inherit the creative bug, and his father was his first art teacher. As a young adult, he traveled across Europe, taking on different painting jobs.

Even though Moyle had previous knowledge of Holbein’s work, she became curious to learn more about the iconic painter. As she delved deeper, she discovered that many of his pieces held hidden meanings, coded messages, and signs that were only recognizable to those familiar with the subject.

The 1540 painting by Holbein that drew Moyle’s attention was a portrait depicting one of Henry VIII’s six wives. Regardless, while she had some knowledge about the King’s wives, the art historian was unsure of which wife it was.

King Henry VIII, also known as “the father of the Royal Navy,” was one of the most prominent figures in English history. He reigned as King from 1509 until his passing in 1547. Henry VIII was known during his lifetime for his many marriages, six to be exact.

When the King took the throne at just 17, one of his top priorities was to find a suitable partner to produce an heir to the throne. And so Henry VIII quickly tied the knot with Catherine of Aragon just a month after becoming King.

Once Henry VIII realized that his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, had not provided him with a male heir, he requested a divorce from the Pope. Of course, the Pope denied his request, but Henry, always a stubborn lad, divorced anyway.

Even though he jumped into another marriage as soon as he’d divorced Catherine, Anne and Henry’s marriage wasn’t exactly a fairy tale. Sadly, Anne couldn’t give him a son, which was a big deal for the King. Because of that, he desperately wanted to end the marriage and did everything he could to make it happen.

Just a few short days after Anne Boleyn was executed, King Henry VIII had already found his next wife, and he immediately walked down the aisle with his new bride, Jane Seymour. This time, luck was on their side, and she was able to give him one child, a son named Edward, who would eventually become King.

After the passing of Jane Seymour, his third wife, King Henry VIII, was in no rush to return to the marriage. The loss had hit him hard, and he needed time to heal, and the idea of another union didn’t bode well with him.

After his fourth marriage went down in flames, the King set sights on a new conquest: a 19-year-old named Catherine Howard. Sadly, this union would also end in tragedy. Like his previous wife, Anne Boleyn, Henry decided to divorce Catherine and accused her of all sorts of offenses, including adultery.

After his fifth marriage ended tragically, the King decided to give love another chance. A year later, he married Catherine Parr, and unlike his previous wives, this union was a turning point. Historians believe Catherine significantly impacted the royal court during her time as queen.

After four years of marriage, King Henry VIII took his last breath on January 28, 1547, and Catherine Parr followed him a year later.

Back in the day, it was typical for people of importance to have their own portrait artist. Yet, a specific type of portrait was particularly in demand. So, Holbein, the painter, was requested to paint miniature paintings of the King and his cadre.

Even though portraits were popular then, it was mainly a privilege reserved for the elite to have their own miniature pictures. The members of the aristocracy, who were known for their dramatic and complicated relationships, would often share these tiny paintings with one another.

For many years, the 1540 painting, made by Holbein, had long been believed to depict Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Catherine Howard. Nonetheless, Moyle took a closer look and concluded that this assumption was incorrect.

Moyle had studied Holbein’s artistic style before, and she was well-versed and knew that the artist had a tendency to include subtle clues and codes in his paintings, which most viewers would not pick up on. Nonetheless, as she examined the miniature painting, she came across an interesting detail- the image was mounted on a playing card.

Thomas Cromwell was one of the King’s confidants, and he played a crucial role in the court of King Henry VIII. When creating a miniature painting for him, it was evident that Holbein had great consideration. The painter chose an ace of spades playing card as the mount for the painting, which was for a good reason.

Good ol’ Holbein was known for sneaking little surprises into his art. His 1540 painting, for example, is one of the masterpieces with a significant secret. It features a playing card, but not just any card – it’s a four of diamonds.

When it comes to Holbein’s paintings, nothing is by accident. He was particular with all the details that appeared in the artwork, and the 1540 creation was no different.

When Moyle first laid eyes on the painting, she couldn’t help but be intrigued by the large jewels the woman was wearing. The jewelry could have belonged to either Catherine Howard or Anne of Cleves, both of whom were married to Henry VIII at the time the painting was created.

Moyle’s theory that the painting depicted Anne of Cleves instead of Catherine Howard was reinforced by her observation of the woman’s face. Furthermore, Catherine was only a teenager when she married Henry, while Anne was in her late twenties, which showed that they had a huge age gap.

After some digging, Moyle found another portrait of Anne of Cleves, and upon comparing it with the miniature of 1540, she found the resemblance striking. According to Moyle, “They’re the same woman. She has this soporific expression in both paintings.”

With the King’s history of divorce, Anne of Cleves was filled with trepidation that King Henry VIII would decide to divorce her, so she left no stone unturned in her efforts to gain his favor. She tried everything in her power to make him happy and to win his affection to ensure the continuation of her marriage.