Hans Holbein's Portrait Drawings: A View of the Tudor Court

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If you are looking for a way to come face-to-face with the past, with the men and women of Henry VIII's court and family, I believe that the preparatory portrait drawings of Hans Holbein the Younger is a spectacular resource. We're exploring them today...
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Intro / Outro song: Silent Partner, "Greenery" [ • Greenery - Silent Part... ]
Images (all held by the Royal Collection and sourced from Wikimedia Commons unless otherwise stated):
Self-portrait of Hans Holbein the Younger (1542 or 1543 - gold background of a later date). Held by the Uffizi Museum.
Portrait drawing of Simon George of Cornwall by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1535).
Portrait of Simon George of Cornwall by Hans Holbein the Younger (between 1536 and 1537). Held by the Städel Museum.
Portrait drawing of Margaret, Lady Butts by Hans Holbein the Younger (between c.1541 and c.1543).
Portrait of Lady Margaret Butts by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1543). Held by the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.
Portrait drawing of Elizabeth, Lady Vaux by Hans Holbein the Younger (circa 1536).
Portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Vaux after Hans Holbein (16th century). Held by the Prague Castle Picture Gallery.
Portrait drawing of Lady Audley by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1538).
Portrait Miniature of Lady Audley by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1538).
Portrait drawing of Sir Thomas Strange of Hunstanton by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1536).
Portrait of Sir Thomas Strange of Hunstanton by Hans Holbein the Younger (1536). Held by the Kimbell Art Museum.
Portrait drawing of Elizabeth, Lady Rich by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1535-40).
Portrait of Elizabeth, Lady Rich by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1540). Held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Portrait drawing of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1532-43).
Portrait of George Brooke, 9th Baron Cobham after Hans Holbein the Younger (after 1544).
Portrait drawing of Queen Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1536).
Portrait of Queen Jane Seymour by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1536-1537). Held by the Kunsthistorisches Museum.
Hans Holbein the Younger’s study for the Family Portrait of Thomas More (c.1527). Held by the Kupferstichkabinett, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel. From left to right: Elizabeth Dauncy (neé More), Margaret Giggs, John More Snr, Anne Cresacre, Thomas More, John More Jnr, Henry Patenson, Cecilia (or Cecily) Heron (neé More), Margaret Roper (neé More), Alice More.
The seven surviving portrait drawings linked to Hans Holbein the Younger’s study for the Family Portrait of Thomas More (c.1526-1527). Elizabeth Dauncy (neé More), Margaret Giggs, John More Snr, Anne Cresacre, Thomas More, John More Jnr, Cecilia (or Cecily) Heron (neé More).
Painting of Sir Thomas More and Family by Rowland Lockey after Hans Holbein the Younger (1592). Held by Nostell Priory.
Two portrait drawings of Sir Thomas More by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1526-1527).
Portrait of Sir Thomas by Hans Holbein the Younger (1527). Held by The Frick Collection.
Portrait of Thomas Cromwell by Hans Holbein the Younger (1532-1533). Held by The Frick Collection.
Portrait drawing of an unidentified woman (formerly identified as Eleanor Brandon) by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1532-1543).
Portrait drawing of Frances, Countess of Surrey by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1532-1533).
Portrait drawing of an unidentified woman (formerly identified as Anne of Cleves’ sister, Amelia) by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1532-1543).
Portrait drawing of the Lady Parker (most likely Grace) by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1530s).
Portrait drawing of the Lady Ratcliffe (most likely Elizabeth) by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1532-1543).
Portrait drawing of a woman (later inscribed in gold over red "Anna Bollein Queen") by Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1533-1536).
The face of the lead medal intended to celebrate the coronation of Anne Boleyn (1534). Held by the British Museum. Image from www.britishmus....
Portrait drawing of a lady (called Anne Boleyn) by Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1532-1535). Held by the British Museum.

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6 сен 2024

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@AB-vv7fl 4 года назад

I really prefer the portrait drawings over the portraits. The features are more open and give you a deeper feeling for the subject.

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

I agree!

@suemount6042 4 года назад

Me too

@3John-Bishop 3 года назад

@@ReadingthePast at 22:30 if one of these is Anne it has to be the one on the left. I dont see Henry falling madly in love the one on the right.

@whaleymom76 3 года назад

I completely agree. Also, the subjects look kinder in the sketches. Thomas Moore, for example, looks open and kind in the sketches and almost cruel in the paintings

@JadeLeaf1980 3 года назад

Yes, he captured the soul and characters more in the drawings, they looked very stoic and a bit dead eyed in the final paintings. The drawings have life and light in their eyes, I can see the person more even though there’s less colour and detail. 🥰

@christinepaige2575 3 года назад

For me, Holbein’s portrait drawings are so precious because unlike the very stiff, highly stylized portraiture that was predominant at the time (and also during the reign of Elizabeth), they show us the way these individuals _really_ looked with as close to what we think of as photographic accuracy as was achievable. The accurate portrayal of these individual faces clearly was Holbein’s main objective, and it has puzzled me that conveying such life-likeness seemed unimportant to so many portraitists of that time. It can’t be because no other artist had anything approaching Holbein’s talent; I’ve always thought that for some reason it must have been regarded as almost taboo to draw people in this way; perhaps it was considered almost indecently personal. Yet, if this collection of drawings has been owned by reputable people down through the centuries, could that really be the case? I wonder if Holbein was influenced by the highly realistic portrait busts that survive from Roman times which allow us to see, for example, what the emperors we read about in history books actually looked like in life. In any case, I revere Holbein’s greatness in giving us this marvelous window on people of the past.

@-Reagan Год назад

I agree. I think it’s on par with bare faced photos vs. photoshopped ones, today. When celebs take photos of their natural bodies and their faces without makeup they’re considered ‘brave’ and people come out of the wallpaper to say how stunning they look. They do admire the bravery and sense of exposing vulnerability. This is key to the ability to empathize with them as real people who are naturally unique and flawed. It’s just themselves - but, yes, it’s more personal. It’s intimidating for many people to look on themselves as they really are. Primarily, I think, because we are all primed to prefer ideals and people are typically reticent to reveal their flaws. Over time, as beauty ideals change, we see so many portraits (or photos) that look so much alike in features that they blend together. People want perfect photos to use for representation online/for business, social media or public relations. We don’t seem to realize how precious our differences are, how much more interesting they are, then or now. TL;DR Much the same as now! Many people who would see these Tudor portraits would never know these people in person and that’s how they wanted to be perceived as and, recalled - as idealistic as possible to fit the beauty ideals of the time. I always get excited when I look up someone and find a Holbein, because I know it will be a more unique, presumably accurate representation. I have noticed that even Holbein adhered to a fine line between pleasing his audience and patrons, and painting the truth. He uses angles very skillfully to flatter in many cases and, I love how he revealed a single face through two flattering angles that (slyly) allow you to see the depth/dimension of a face and therefore capture the truth between two angles. For instance, the portraits of Anne of Cleves (I believe) which, when drawn straight on, obscure the shape and length of her nose, that can be seen in the profile. TL;DR Much the same, as now! I shall always take realistic photos of myself!

@LenaFerrari 8 месяцев назад

I think other artists were more concerned with the message the portrait would send (power, richness, etc), than with what reality looked like Idk why holbein had a different inclination, but I'm certainly glad he did It's also interesting that his finished pieces look less personal than his sketches. Almost like he knew the realism was more important to him than to the commissioners

@StarrySoakedSkiess 4 года назад

Where was this woman when I was bored out of my skull in history class? I would’ve LOVED history class if she was my teacher

@scattygirl1 4 года назад

Talking to one listener (the viewer) is vastly different from talking to a class of 20+. Just as watching a video when it suits you is vastly different from attending a lesson when it doesn't. Listening (and talking) without any interruptions, or technical hitches, is also completely different. I guarrantee that if she taught a history lesson in a classroom with 25 students of varying degrees of attention span, interest level or motivation, she would seem less impressive. That is no criticism of her- just the difference between real life and Youtubing.

@ruurdjesteur7932 4 года назад

@@scattygirl1 Much as I admire her expertise, the subtitles are a disgrace. I am deaf so I depend on subtitles. I hope she will read my complaint and try to rectify this unfortunate atrocity.-.

@alisonwg8726 4 года назад

I also hated history in HS. But I tool Art History in college and it was just like this... I loved it. Dr. Kat is awesome!

@nikkithompson24 4 года назад

Battery acid I agree! I’m so glad I saw her channel,she’s awesome!!

@p.s.shnabel3409 4 года назад

@@ruurdjesteur7932 My guess is, the subtitles are generated by a program, not a human. Dr. Kat's dyslexia would work against her in this context. And I don't think she's making enough to be able to pay for human input? Perhaps your plight might motivate a kind subscriber to change this...that would be great!

@DiamondCutter423 3 года назад

A couple months ago I bought a hard copy of those portraits, it's called " Holbein Drawings at Windsor Castle" , and you're right, that face of that third unknown girl is remarkable and has always stood out to me too. Holbein uncovered the secret of capturing and transferring peoples essence and energy through time, with his portraits. You feel like you've been in the same room with the person just from looking at Holbein's drawings. It's fascinating.

@rach_laze 4 года назад

Holy moly the velvet on the Thomas Moore portrait is incredible

@justineharper3346 Год назад

It’s gorgeous!

@jenluv 4 года назад

I wish time travel were possible... Some of these drawings really do look like they could have been drawn today! Excellent video, as always, Dr. Kat!

@chanteloconnell8919 4 года назад

Me too!!

@Justsomebody009 3 года назад

Yeah how cool would it be for a holiday to go to the past. I love history and one day I honestly do hope I can go the Tudor era.

@VetsrisAuguste 2 года назад

I’m curious what you mean by, “could have been drawn today”. Is that a reference to the quality of the technique or the state of preservation of the sketches? Keep in mind, technical precision and clean execution in art are not exclusive to the present any more than sloppy technique and poor execution are exclusive to the past.

@wanketta 4 года назад

I will always remember that in 1983 I saw an exhibit of some of Hans Holbein the Younger’s sketches/portraits at the Morgan Library in NYC. I left in tears as they were so very realistic, and emotionally impactful. The portraits seemed modern to me. He was gifted at capturing personality, surely more skilled than the majority of his peers. Thank you!

@jennaolbermann7663 4 года назад

They are so realistic, almost like a photograph.

@borikkiv 4 года назад

The drawings are amazing, when you see the finished portraits, even though they are undoubtedly masterful, they lose something that the drawings had. The expression in them is clearer and more compelling. I wonder if the "Ann Boleyn" drawing on the right is of someone ill? The eyes are looking sad, away and down, and the clothing would make sense if they were not well.

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

Some have suggested that the double chin is actually a sign of illness or thyroid issues. A later commentator known for his snideness (Nicholas Sanders) claimed that Anne had a large "wen" on her neck that she made attempts to hide.

@ssg8051 4 года назад

My thoughts as well

@clare5one 4 года назад

@@ReadingthePast A "wen" is a sebaceous cyst, which has nothing to do with a thyroid condition. Unless they misnamed it.

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

@@clare5one I believe it was used to refer to any number of conditions at the time. Some have drawn a connection with "scrofula" - which is another ailment whose modern form is being debated. One suggestion is that it referred to lymphatic TB, which results in swollen lymph nodes.

@strandedinseattle9931 4 года назад

@@ReadingthePast I believe you are just overthinking it. it looks like the indentation made from the bonnet string keeping her cap tight.. look at how the ear pieces are being pulled toward it, as it would if a string of some nature were under the chin to anchor the bonnet. the string then continues on the ear flap itself and then loops around the back.

@joycestewart4893 4 года назад

Hans Holbein the Younger is absolutely one of my favorite artists (of all time). It was he who gave us the fantasy image of Henry VIII. His draft drawings are almost as interesting as his final paintings. He was excellent at capturing personality. Thank you for doing this.

@ckcribbs8577 3 года назад

I'm 6 months late in posting this but I thought the "Lady #3" drawing was Anne Boleyn as soon as I saw it. The dark eyes and hair, the detail of the face instantly reminded me of the description of Anne having "black and beautiful" eyes that were captivating. Another description was that she wore high neck/collar dresses, the lady in drawing is wearing this style.Your "Traces of Anne Boleyn" video has me convinced that the portrait said to be her is actually Mary Tudor. I think it is more likely that a drawing of Anne would survive destruction. The other things that stands out in this drawing are her sleeves and lapel. They look very modern and completely different when compared to the other four, whose dresses look very standard for the time.

@KimTpring 3 года назад

I had the inexpressible joy of seeing Holbein's portrait of Jane Seymour when it toured Minneapolis. DaVinci and Holbein are my two top favorite artists. I love your lecture on Holbein!!!! Keep up the good work, Dr. Kat.

@TheMogregory 4 года назад

Very happy I met you Dr Kat. I too am an historian and am amazed that anything new could be said about the Tudor period. But you've done just that. The content of your videos is great and your presentation of the material excellent. No personal agenda showing! Open minded and open for discussion. Very well done indeed. Thank you.

@kristenrock1733 4 года назад

With Holbein's drawings you get a true taste of not only Tudor fashion ,but the true likeness of these people who lived among Henry's court . His drawings seem like you said modern ,as well as haunting to the us viewers .

@elizabethmcglothlin5406 4 года назад

I think one of the most brilliant portrait artists of all time. He didn't shrink from accuracy but still gave his subjects dignity--apparently whether of not he liked them. Remarkable.

@o_doris 4 года назад

A school friend of mine bought me a book of Holbein's Tudor court drawings some years back :) Uh, I was transfixed by them! As you say, they make you feel so much more connected with these people of the past... Holbein was a marvellous artist. I really wish he'd been commissioned to paint a portrait of Elizabeth or Mary. Although, the portrait of Elizabeth as a young girl is very beautiful and Holbein-esque...

@anthony111isevilok 4 года назад

Luckily a drawing of Mary I by Holbein survives but the condition is pretty worn but when you look at it, you can tell it's Mary because of the resemblance to her portraits as queen 😊 it's quite wonderful!

@004mcdonald 4 года назад

Gosh wish I had you when I was in school. I am 70 and there is only one teacher I have never forgotten. English teacher who brought Shakespeare to life for me. Now there is you and your very talented presentation and knowledge. Carry on Dr. Kat

@susannebrown3255 4 года назад

On the artist, personally I thought his sketches more life like than the portraits. On the Anne sketches, I see why they weren’t included. The first sketch of Anne is the closest to what she might have looked like because of the portrait of Anne that you showed in a previous episode. ❤️ this space/channel. Luv history, glad that you are sharing with us. Thanks🇨🇦

@jonathanhollis3205 4 года назад

I completely have to agree with you Susanne. The sketches give much more insight into the person's mood and are much more lifelike. Can't believe I've never come across these.

@karenguidry6110 4 года назад

I think the lady you connected with looks like YOU!!! She also looks like she has a keen intelligence and a wicked sense of humor; like she could whisper something scandalous to you at a party while still maintaining a straight face😂

@loribraley7613 4 года назад

I totally agree

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

Now you've got me blushing with your flattery! ☺️

@ThePiratecookies 4 года назад

I agree too! Looks just like her, uncanny.

@rebeccalewis4754 4 года назад

I was checking the comments to see if I was the only one. The lady in pink looks like Dr. Kat or her sister.

@OwnedByAGrey 3 года назад

I just commented the same! I should have scrolled through first. I’m glad I’m not the only one to have seen the resemblance.

@AnnMarieKing 4 года назад

Portrait 3 of 5 ... what an open, serene visage. There is an ease to the subject's gaze that seems very self assured, almost casual and not typical of women of her era. Perhaps why you find her so striking.

@wailingapplecore7558 4 года назад

The lady Parker portrait really connects with me for some reason- she looks so ethereal and soft to me, like a fairy 💕

@jillymo527 4 года назад

Dr. Kat, as an amateur Tudor historian (it's my hobby 😁), I really love your videos! Just when I think I've learned enough about the Tudor period, you present information that is fresh to my ears, and my intellect could not be more grateful! Pertaining to this video, the drawings are so much more "alive" than the paintings, in my opinion. Something gets lost in the transition to canvas. The faces lose some of their detail and sometimes do not look as realistic as the drawings. Personally, I trust the drawings to be a truer representative of the appearance of each subject. I also agree with you about the two drawings supposedly of Anne Boleyn. They are not. Interestingly, Anne Boleyn and Mr. Holbein are two of my fantasy dinner party guests!

@finch45lear 4 года назад

Holbein is in a class all by himself. His work is breathtaking. Thanks for the videos Dr. Kat !!!

@mcbrineart 4 года назад

As a painter & portrait artist, although I am obsessed with English history in general and Tudor history in particular, I am mostly obsessed with the portraits we have, especially those by Holbein. To me this is the closest we will get to knowing what these people actually looked like, not some idealized image a lesser artist would portray. I have always loved the drawings best as his drawings are better than his paintings. I believe these drawings were done mainly as reference to make the painting as they could be done fairly quickly and then the artist could trace or copy the photo onto the canvas to get started quickly on the piece. I once had the privilege to view a show of many of these drawings and I could see where the drawings had been traced over certain areas like the outline of the eyes, the line of the mouth and indications of the location of the nose and face shape. When it comes to Anne, to my eye, both of those drawings are probably Anne. First of all, John Cheke was well aware of Anne's appearance. The eye colour that people assume is light & blue in the younger image may have changed with time, appeared lighter due to how the sitter was lit (even dark eyes can appear lighter when bright light shines on them) or a drawing decision to see more detail in the eye - as noted elsewhere here, sometimes drawings that appear to have light eyes, in the painting they are dark. Since the drawings are reference for the painting, and likely resided, put away, in a drawer or portfolio somewhere, not framed and hung, Henry would likely been unaware of their existence or location to destroy them. Have you seen the Pinterest image where someone flipped the livelier drawing of Anne that is facing to the right and compared both ""Anne Bollein Queen" drawings in the collection side by side? The features are very similar and line up with the exception of the nose which is sharper in the younger image and could be accounted for by drawing differences, keeping in mind these are drawings not photographs! I mean, we all can look drastically different, depending on the angle of the shot, in photographs so think of differences that would happen in drawings done perhaps years apart. With age, pregnancy, weight gain there are changes in us all - eyebrows become more sparse and lighter, people may have more fullness under chin (but this is also accounted for with a string holding on the cap and the fact she is looking down) also. The portrait medal, along with a cartoon sketch recently identified of Anne at her coronation are the only contemporary images we have. In both, she is wearing a gable hood and shows a long oval face and a distinctive mouth, full yet pursed, and some swelling under the chin and a shallow jaw/chin (does not project much). These features are in both drawings as well. There are some accounts that say she had a goiter (although by her enemies, so grain of salt needed) so this is possibly why she had this distinctive looking area just under the chin and upper throat. By the way, I would love to hear your thoughts on the image I sent you on Twitter of Anne of Cleves and the portrait some historians have labeled to be Catherine Howard. I think they are both Anne of Cleves, based on the very similar features & face, especially those heavily lidded eyes. I drew a french hood over so it is easier to see how much these two images are alike. Keep in mind also, they are works of art, not photos! The painting by Holbein is flattering as it is the best angle for a prominent nose. The miniature to me does not represent a very young girl, rather a woman of at least her mid-twenties. I am convinced these are both Anne since all we know for sure about the miniature is that it was one of Henry's queens since she is wearing the same jewellery that Jane Seymour sported in her portrait. And, wouldn't it be more likely that a painting of Anne of Cleves would survive, from the same time period, rather than another executed queen?

@Cat-tastrophee 4 года назад

The "Anne" portrait on the left looks so much like the image on the coin -- the heart-shaped face, the cupid's bow mouth, and the fact that the coin has a flattened nose and the lady on the left has a more distinctive nose that stuck out more, which may have been represented on the coin. In addition, the lady on the left is so pretty!! She looks a bit like Elizabeth Taylor to me. I could see why Henry VIII was so smitten with her if that's what she looked like, and matches the "dark and lovely eyes" that she was described as having. It's just my wishful thinking; we'll probably never know for sure.

@Kbaltrush 4 года назад

The 4th portrait drawing is the most striking to me. The structure of the woman’s face is so unusual, and there is a sense of despair about it. Striking about them all is the direct gaze of these woman, when so few of the final portraits have any subject straight on.

@kragary 4 года назад

I find the second of the five women intriguing because she looks so sad. I wonder why. Was she a melancholy personality, or did she have a particular reason to be unhappy? The third woman looks haughty, almost contemptuous. I think the theory that she could have been Anne B. is fascinating. Her look is so direct, almost challenging; whoever she was, I get the impression she was fearless.

@kreviews3412 Год назад

She fits the description of having a wide mouth and beautful black eyes

@realityslidersmandelaeffec6594 4 года назад

His portrait drawings are absolutely magnificent

@gwinniboots 4 года назад

Holbein’s drawings are exquisitely beautiful and detailed. I love looking at them. Each conveys the character of the sitter.

@janellkean512 3 года назад

Thank you Dr. Kat for bringing these drawings to the present. My father, who worked and worked and worked, took time out of his schedule to take me (and only me...the 7th of his 8 children) to see the Holbein Collection at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, Texas in the late 1980s. I was mesmerized. I am now a teacher with a degree in History. You brought back so many fond memories. Again, Thank You.

@possumaintdead 4 года назад

I agree that the third portrait drawing in the set of five is the most compelling. I felt that as soon as it came up that she was a woman I would have loved to know. The fourth, of the Lady Parker, could be a twin to actress Sissy Spacek in her youth! at least, it seems so to me. The two possible Anne Boleyn drawings are more difficult. The more casually dressed woman certainly looks worried enough to be Anne in pregnancy, but the other one to me looks vivacious enough to be Anne at an earlier date. A shame we will never know for sure! I love your channel, btw, and always look forward to your "classes!" :-)

@Dodgeowner 4 года назад

While Lady Parker does resemble Sissy Spacek, might she also resemble the actress who played Catherine Howard in the Tudor series?

@justthecoolestdudeyo9446 4 года назад

@@Dodgeowner I thought that too! When I first saw her in the Tudors, I thought the actress was too modern looking- but I guess that was a foolish assumption. Certainly, if people look like that now, their genes came from somewhere! Seeing modern people in these ancient faces makes them feel so real...

@jasonmack2569 4 года назад

Thank You! I was trying to remember Ms. Spacek's name and could not think of it.

@AdrienTalksMachines 4 года назад

I love Dr. Kat’s voice it is so relaxing and educational!!

@susanwozniak6354 4 года назад

I like the fine detail of the sketches so much more than the painted portraits.

@clareb8015 3 года назад

Me too.

@KarentheGreat247 4 года назад

I think the first image presented in the video of Anne Boleyn is definitely her! Look at the resemblance between this portrait and her daughter Elizabeth. If I had to bet money on it, I would say that this was Anne Boleyn. I would go as far as to say that it aligns with the other more finished portraits of Anne B. as well and taken all together, the Holbein portrait is the truest to life.

@Johnathan04 2 года назад

Exactly although we do not know 100% it’s her, it is one of the most compelling images claiming to be her.

@birdbrain9625 4 года назад

The unknown lady is very striking with a swarthy complexion and clearly stands out from the other portraits.

@AnneAndersonFoxiepaws 4 года назад

He was a wonderful artist. I thought Anne of Cleves was gorgeous and this unknown woman really looks like a person you could know. I think in many of these drawings the subjects look much more real to me. I really think that what is so odd about these drawings is that they look very real and in his finished portraits there were probably more constraints as more people would see them and they probably had to be executed in a style of that period whereas the drawings were just people as he saw them if you follow me. I think the downcast eyes of the finished portraits has a lot to do with our reaction to the drawings which look right at us and therefore elicit an emotional response absent when viewing the portraits. As for the Anne Bolyen pictures. I think the sketches are of the same woman as the set of the jaw and mouth is identical even if they're from different sides and as for the medal, I can't see a face in it and couldn't the last time you showed it...it could as easily be a medal with a potato on it as represent a person (albeit a potato with a veil thingie on lol!).

@beverlyfletcher4458 4 года назад

Wonderful. These faces reach out to us across the centuries: what would they have thought of that, I wonder? And how amazing that they look like people you see today! So moving, so human.

@suemiller9842 4 года назад

I've just discovered your channel, WOW!!! I wish my gran was still alive, she loved history. She was born into the late Victorian era, and therefore only received minimum schooling, but her love of books made her one of the smartest people I've ever known. She passed her love of learning onto me, - the greatest legacy she could have given me. Thanks for a great channel, keep safe.

@saramiller8870 4 года назад

I'm excited to see The Lady Surry. I found out a couple years ago that she is part of my family tree, directly. When I looked her up and first saw the portrait drawing back then, I felt chills. I felt a connection. I and others think I look like her, which is cool. Her story is interesting, too.

@user-uo3tm1dv5i 3 года назад

you more look like Parker girl , pretty one )))

@cindchan Месяц назад

I find that portraits of a person looking at you, makes you feel a connection with the person. Probably because you are looking them in the eyes, and you can see the person, like you are looking into their soul and they are looking into yours. As for the Anne Boleyn portrait, I was confused when you said all the images were destroyed, when there was one always shown in videos/webpages about her. And so, today, is the day I discovered that the portrait wasn't painted in her lifetime. Huh! You learn something new everyday!

@AndYourLittleDog 4 года назад

Brilliant video. I’d love to see a series of artists who painted royalty

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

That's a cool idea for a video series! Thank you !

@AndYourLittleDog 4 года назад

Reading the Past I’ve seen Dr James Fox and Waldemar Januszscak touch on Hilliard, Dobson and Van Dyke and am hooked! I really enjoy your insights

@auntijen3781 4 года назад

Reminds me that I've also always liked learning about the biographies of those 'mistress's of the clergy' whose portraits became immortalized in religious artworks...

@ladyliberty417 4 года назад

Just found you !! Thank you for sharing your knowledge ❤️ love this period of art and hope you give us more!!

@optimalrefundable 4 года назад

I think these portrait drawings are absolutely gorgeous. I think my favorite is of Lady Ratclif/Elizabeth Howard. She has such an inquisitive, knowing, curious expression. It's almost like she's asked you a question, and is waiting for an answer. I agree with you, these images are totally vibrant and give off a rather forward, modern vibe. Thanks for introducing these to me, made my week!

@kittfrances 4 года назад

Is there any chance that the left 'Anne' portrait could actually be of her sister Mary Boleyn? They are two obviously different sitters, but I can see a familial resemblance, especially in the mouth shape that seems to be depicted on the medal as well. And I can see a likeness between the face on the left and the portrait of Mary Boleyn by an unknown artist (I'm guessing a copy done at a later date?). Some confusion could have sprung up if they were both said to be Boleyns, but Sir John Cheek had met neither. I think the portrait in the undercap has a strong resemblance to the medal (the chin especially looks identical!), and it does look like Anne's 'little neck'!

@alohaanderson53 4 года назад

I think the first of the drawings of the five women looks like a young Catherine of Aragon around age 15. I know the timeline is off she still looks like the young Catherine to me. The drawings and coronation coin, the drawing on the left has a much shorter neck than depicted on the coin. The drawing on the right has a longer neck but the bulging under the chin. The coin also shows a much higher forehead than either of the drawings. All the noses are also quite different. This is so interesting. I’m loving your storytelling. Also the beguiling woman in the middle seems to be alive as I look into her eyes and she looks back at me. Like she’s here right in front of me. Her gaze is unnerving. I couldn’t stop looking at her.

@agelessinspiration 4 года назад

Alison Anderson The coin is the only contemporary image we have that is 100% Anne. I see very similar features, including a bulge under the chin, in the nightcap drawing & medal. The bulge is emphasized by a strap holding the cap on and the fact she’s looking down slightly. I think any of us would have a slight bulge under our chin with that situation especially if possibly pregnant.

@revitalsela4063 4 года назад

I believe that king Henry was in the inside corner of his heart loved Anne until his last day. So i wouldn't be surprised to learn he kept one image of her in a private book that is not for all to see. I agree the 5 portraits you've shown are quite remarkable. I always find the proportion between the body and face in his paintings is very wrong and that is maybe because for him the face was much more interesting. The 3rd portrait yiy said you felt more connected to, i believe bares a small resemblance to you yourself, and that's why you feel closer to it...

@prettyfar33 4 года назад

I thought so too!!! The eyes!!!

@patriciaarnold8489 3 года назад

revital sela could have taken the words from my mouth. I am sure he did love this fascinating and beautiful woman and kept the portrait because he couldn't bare to part with it.

@verak66 3 года назад

I'm sorry to disagree but I loathe Henry completely and I'm convinced his heart was only for pumping blood. The monster ordered the sword from Calais before she even had a trial. Condemned five more on ridiculous and contradictory evidence. For the dates given, it seems they were proven to be elsewhere. But it didn't matter. It was pre-juried. Not one of them had the principles of - Thomas More - condemned six innocent people to death. So, no, Henry the Horrible had already moved on to the simpering, complicit bore. And then moved on again three more times. ". . . a corner of his heart." His heart and mind were always about himself and himself.

@jenniferholden9397 4 года назад

I prefer the originals rather than the finished portraits. Just me.

@wanketta 4 года назад

Jennifer Holden Agreed. He lost something in the transition from drawing to paint.

@p.s.shnabel3409 4 года назад

@@wanketta Flattery....he had to paint to fit with the beauty standards of the time. The rough drafts probably already don't show skin blemishes, really bad teeth etc. Holbein would have shown these drafts to his paying client before working on the official portrait. And he must have been very good at reading their body language, and alter his art as necessary. At least, that would be my guess. After all, that's exactly how professional photographers work today; change just enough to flatter but not enough to alter completely.

@LH-ro2ot 4 года назад

Me too. They seem to capture the real person.

@margaretaskew5937 4 года назад

So do I. They look more natural and real.

@r.l.stroud9633 4 года назад

I do as well. They are more vibrant than the portrait, especially if the sitter was dark-eyed or had very deep eyes--perhaps they sat in daylight facing a window, but the official paintings are done in a dark library or something? As for the 3 versions (allegedly) of Anne Boleyn, both of the pictures seem to portray someone with dark golden hair and the image on the coin is no help at all, except that the portrait with the wider face pictures a woman in the same headdress and garments.

@teresabailey8508 4 года назад

Holbein’s portraits, Keith Michell as Henry VIII, and Glenda Jackson’s Elizabeth R absolutely shaped my life-long (starting age 9) love of the Tudor and Elizabethan period, and history in general.

@kimberli8225 Год назад

Ditto on Kieth Michelle and Glenda Jackson . I don't believe any of these woman are Ann . The metal does look like a potato with a head dress on. why would Henry have all the Portraits destroyed but keep these sketches? Also he hated Katherine Howard so much as to have lime sprinkled on her remains but allowed paintings of her to remain in existence? Also some of the Portraits look far to old to be Katherine Howard. 64 yr.old Florida Girl

@DannyJane. 4 года назад

A selection of these drawings went on tour in the 1980s. I saw them at the Houston Museum of Art. I went to the showing accompanied by my best friend Ellie. The genius of Holbein's drawings, which is not truly present in his paintings for, I suppose, political reasons, is that these aren't marks on paper. They are windows into the minds and souls of the subjects. I suspect none of these people would have wanted Holbein's personal opinion of them to be on display. However, those 30-odd years ago Ellie and I had a wonderful afternoon examining them and building a study of who we thought they were. We were, I'm not-so-embarrassed to say, a bit boisterous. Not to the degree that got us invited to leave, but sufficient to encourage our fellow visitors to venture their own observations. It turned into quite a game, where we studied them and decided who and what they might be in our modern world. His affection for Thomas More and family is clear, whereas, I recall one hard-faced gentleman in the collection that we decided would have been either a trial lawyer, a mob boss, or a used car salesman. I don't think Holbein liked him any more than he liked Cromwell, whose piggy eyes and sour expression tell us EXACTLY what the artist thought of him. Of the five ladies, it's the third lady's drawing is something wonderful to me. I think you see what I see. She stands out even among the other four. I think she's the one who impressed Holbein on more than a superficial level. I believe he held her in high esteem, and may have had a bit of a crush. Through his eyes I see a woman who has experienced adversity and/or great loss that has wounded her deeply, but she has still prevailed. She does not simper for the artist, none of the five do, but she gazes honestly back at us most boldly. I think this lady speaks her mind, and does so gently and forthrightly. Rather than seeing her emotions, as is prominent in a lot of the drawings, I see someone who, while honest is also guarded. I also see a hint of grief or pain in her eyes and I wonder if she is one of those whom King Henry hurt irrevocably. What startles the viewer about these five ladies is the steadiness of their gaze. At a time when women were supposed to be demure, none of them is. All look you squarely and without artifice. Finally, the one drawing I hoped you would discuss is not here. I call her the "Shadow Lady". All of Holbein's drawings, at least the ones I have seen, show us the features of the sixteenth century individuals in strong detail. All show more than faces, they show personalities. They show Holbein's opinion, he analysis of who these individuals were. All but one. One drawing of an unknown lady shows a richly detailed headdress and gown--but no face at all. There is a hint of where the eyes might have been and a ghost of the placement of features; but she is utterly faceless. Why? What was Holbein telling us about her? The Shadow Lady is, in her way, as compelling as Lady #3. She is the one, these three decades and more on, who still haunts my dreams.

@franm.8343 3 года назад

I was fortunate to see an exhibition of Holbein's portraits at the Tate Gallery, in London, about thirteen years ago. All the major portraits were displayed and they were amazing. However, the portrait that for me summed up Holbein's genius was the portrait of Thomas Howard, Duke of Nofolk. I had seen many book prints of the portrait, the Duke was a premier Duke and councillor at Henry VIII Court, and featured heavily in relation to the Anne Boleyn's family story as he was Anne's uncle. In the portrait he is painted in his robes of state and it shows a slim middle aged granite faced man. But on closer inspection of the portrait the Dukes face was full of anxiety lines and I felt that they captured him perfectly and the times he lived in. Also, the sketch of Thomas Boleyn, Anne's father is outstanding, I felt if you change the clothing it could be a sketch of modern man. When I first saw the two sketches attributed to Anne Boleyn, when I first saw the the portrait on the left I immediately thought, yes, that's her. I would love for a lost portrait of Anne painted in her lifetime to resurface, and be declared genuine by the experts.

@facetedperspectives9950 4 года назад

These drawings are spectacular. Holbein was a Master and he captures the spiritual essence of each subject. Have always been impressed by his work. There are definite energies picked up in each of the drawings. This was a wonderful video. Thank you.

@nicolelivermore4031 4 года назад

Thank you for a fascinating presentation Dr Kat. Like so many others do, I find the Holbein portrait drawings stunning. Looking at the two drawings thought in the past to depict Anne Boleyn (copies of both of which I have on my wall), I think it’s possible they do depict (from opposite sides and different eye positions and expressions) the same woman with a long oval face, prominent nose, generous mouth, and long chin.

@tonymeads4693 2 года назад

For me Hand Holbein was the greatest artist ever. His paintings and drawings show his subjects as real people and bring them to life as no other artist could.

@sondrasaddlemaker8079 4 года назад

I believe the full front portrait drawings were for miniatures intended for the passport identification of the time as well as miniatures for exchange between parties intended for marriage. Also lockets were kept by spouses called away to war or exploration parties.

@paddypaddy7276 2 года назад

My favorite painter! I had the privilege of seeing many of his works on my trip to England. I first learned about how the collection of portrait sketches was discovered by Queen Caroline when I visited Kensington and saw the closet where she displayed them. Fascinating!!!

@iamauntmeem 4 года назад

I love Hans Holbein the Younger's works. They are so realistic. I'm obsessed with this time period and love your videos. Thank you.

@kyndramb7050 4 года назад

I've recently come across your channel, and I'm so glad I did. I've been loving your engaging, detailed, well-researched videos! Thank you for your time and efforts!

@gitalloyd5958 4 года назад

Dear Dr Kat, I am a master artist who has done hundreds of portraits, always painted and sketched from live sitters. You have the general public’s understanding of the process of drawing as I would expect. Artists have a mind set when drawing that is not as deliberative as you might expect. We develop a high degree of quick and intense analysis that is immediate so the subject can be represented realistically. We capture the whole person in a timeless manner and we have done so through the ages. I’m sure you also know and love the Fayum Portraits painted by Greek artists in Egypt. They are beautiful works. These paintings also look like ‘modern’ people. But of course, we are looking at modern people in actuality. Let’s talk about the artist’s process sometime. We artists, and our processes, remain sadly a mystery to most. Isn’t Art grand! great video, thank you , Gita Lloyd.

@lynneperry7454 4 года назад

Thank you for yet another fabulous video. The timing is incredibly good. I have just finished reading Hillary Mantell‘s Mirror and the Light. so I feel as if I have just stepped out of the Tudor court. As I had been looking at Holbein’s work while I was reading, I found this talk of yours took me right back there. I don’t think either of those women could have been Anne Boleyn, partly for the reasons you mentioned and also from the way he has presented them psychologically neither woman had the vital presence that she must have had. The third woman in that group of five quite took me aback as her modern, self contained expression and direct gaze reminded me of Manet’s Olympia, although the rest of the context does relate to that painting.

@susanafont-fontenot9906 4 года назад

I am incline to believe that the drawing to the left is Anne Boleyn. I enjoy your programs. Thank you.

@alandreau1446 4 года назад

Holbein’s studies are amazingly lifelike! They seem to capture the subject’s personalities so adeptly.

@jessdelong464 4 года назад

I absolutely love the topic of Holbein’s portraiture. Absolutely fascinating and I wouldn’t mind more on him and his portraits.

@rebeccanorris4586 4 года назад

As an artist, I absolutely adore this video. To look into Hans Holbein's sketchbook is invaluable. I wonder if after Henry "cooled off" some and was less angry with Anne if he possibly wished he'd save some portraits of her. Possibly, this was his private way of reflecting on their relationship. Also, I'd love to see a video on the relationship between Mary and Elizabeth. They were half sisters but often seen to be at odds and were far apart in age. I'd also love to see a video dedicated to Henry Fitzroy. I am absolutely in love with your channel and your articulate way of speaking. I've recommended you to everyone I know lol

@Liz66bee 4 года назад

When I was at art college years ago, our teacher told us that Hans Holbien used a primative camera-obscura to trace the outline of his sitters onto paper, thus making these as near to photographs as we can get from those times. They are astonishngly realistic images and their faces could be any one of us today, unlike many paintings of those times. I have 2 ancestors who served in the Tudor court (Sir John Gage and Robert Cheeseman) both of whom were captured by Holbein - it's rare to have any images of ancestors before the advent of photography, but to have them imortalised by Holbein is a very special treat and brings them eerily to life. The portraits of the Tudor ladies are wonderful, I think the lady you like is a little like Anne of Cleeves about the eyes, so I think it might be of her sister, like you suggested.

@SuperMarkizas 3 года назад

I’m mesmerised by the ladies’ portraits, Holbein’s mastery at drawing eyes is startling, it feels almost intimate looking at their faces. I like drawings even more than his paintings. Also why is the third lady dressed so differently from others? Headwear, neck area so unusual

@lindaclement3407 4 года назад

On first glance at the portrait of the stunningly magnetic woman's face, I thought, "Anne Boleyn." Great intelligence, great strength, personal power, combined in the face of a great beauty ... whom else could it be? I then Googled "Hans Holbein Anne Boleyn" and alongside the better-known profile portrait of her was that marvelous face, entitled "Anne Boleyn." Relieved to discover that I hadn't lost my mind entirely, I thought it over and it has to be Anne. I understand how Henry VIII thought she had bewitched him. Her sexual power must have been awesome. A woman with that face would have had to be either Queen or dead. I could far more easily believe that mistakes were made regarding the other portraits than that this astonishing woman was anyone else.

@grievousangelic 2 года назад

As soon as I saw the third portrait of the women, I thought, "I wonder if that's Anne Boleyn." It fits: dark hair, dark eyes, very arresting face. People didn't necessarily say Anne was beautiful, but that she was striking. The third portrait suggests slightly darker skin, as well. And this woman is certainly striking, as well as being inscrutable (something else people said of Anne -- "hooded eyes"). She looks like a fascinating woman, which Anne certainly was, also. I'd say there's a decent chance this is actually Anne Boleyn. I doubt we'll ever know, but it's an interesting mental exercise.

@TeaBarful 4 года назад

If i get to choose between the two of Holbein's so called "Anne Boleyn" representations, i'd choose the left one. The right one (the one in informal clothing) has golden hair and for me it's is definitely hair and not some cap. Why? Because woman on this painting has also very light eyebrows. And as we all know Anne Boleyn was a brunette - so she would also have dark eyebrows. The left painting woman has darker eyebrows and you can also see a bit of dark hair under the golden cap. BUT to be honest - the most intriguing is the "unknown" woman painting of a brunette (the middle one in your video of a "straight gaze collection"). She is definitely dark haired, has huge brown eyes ("eyes black and beautiful" that are piercing your through and seem to be the key element of the painting), dark eyebrows, her features are slim and delicate (so it was not a big boned woman) and also has wide lips, long neck (half covered by the dress). And so...she fits a description of Anne Boleyn... Or is it just me that draw a connection here? And one more thing - you pose a question weather the king would hold to a drawing of Anne Boley's face. I see why not? He destroyed all the official paintings so for the public he put on a show. But if he had a part of "human" side too him, if he felt regret to what he prepared for her (and I'm pretty sure he knew exactly Anne was innocent - we can say anything about him, but he was definitely not dumb), then he might have kept the picture for himself. As some sort a private token or sth. AS ALWAYS - amazing video! :D

@ReadingthePast 4 года назад

I hadn't made the AB connection with the 3rd lady... I wish it was her as it would go some way to explain the sense of connection I feel with that particular image!

@TeaBarful 4 года назад

@@ReadingthePast I know exactly what you feel! I have that same feeling, when i look at the picture! :)

@hogwashmcturnip8930 4 года назад

@@TeaBarful I am right with you. To me that is how I see AB and to be honest it isn't far from the famous painting, other than it is way better. I am going to go even further and suggest Lady Parker is actually Catherine Howard! She is very young and pretty. In the paintings credited as CH she is older and frumpy. It certainly isn't Jane Rochford!

@jennaolbermann7663 4 года назад

The portraits of the women are very direct. They look right at the viewer without hesitation but with confidence.

@susannaheanes Год назад

Going back and trying to catch up on older videos of yours. Holbein's portrait drawings are fascinating in and of themselves, in addition to the questions they raise. Thank you for exploring them in so thorough a fashion.

@alexhoover2270 2 года назад

The one on the left to me says Anne to me it gives me chills and goosebumps just looking at it on the screen what a beautiful woman she was I can see her in elizabeth in her paintings

@AshleyLebedev 3 года назад

I deeply believe as a sketch artist and portrait photographer that both could be Anne at different times of life. I’ve done so many portraits and drawings of people in life and these are not necessarily not same person but drawn at different angles, different pencils, different light and my guess is at different times in life. And I do believe as well it’s possible Henry had all destroyed publicly but perhaps kept one for himself, secretly, especially if he knew she was innocent. I can see her allowing Holbein in if pregnant to try to work on something of her. To bad we’ll never know if these became anything because he decimated so much.

@Duke_of_Prunes 3 года назад

I am not at all interested in most art. But my daughter showed me several of Holbein's portraits from the 1500s and they are mesmerizing -- you always expect the portraits from that era to be far less realistic. Absolutely amazing work.

@MM-or7gt 7 месяцев назад

I wasn't expecting to see Hans Holbein the Younger’s portrait of Edward VI as a Child this weekend at the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC. I was awestruck by this magnificent work, to be standing so close to it …possibly within the same proximity as some Tudor royals… Thank you Dr Kat for your historical enthusiasm (which is contagious) and your expertise - I appreciate all your videos and I have really enjoyed this one again!

@mesamies123 4 года назад

The ways in which you, Dr. Kat, read these paintings in their context is both interesting and brilliant. Your skills as a historian and critic allow you to be an excellent art historian. I am completely convinced by your analysis - as usual! 🙂❤

@suzannegabriel3299 4 года назад

I prefer the Holbein sketches to the finished portraits. There is something more 'real' about them! Thank you for posting these videos!

@iTsEfFiNsTePhh 4 года назад

I don’t know if it’s just me but my main issue when it comes to studying historical figures ones who were around before photography was invented is that I have a hard time connecting to them as a human. That human connection is lost with time, at least it is to me. What I mean by that is that we don’t know what they looked like, we didn’t see them with our own eyes, we don’t know anyone who did see them, we didn’t know them personally and we don’t know anyone who did know them personally. Obviously I know that they were real living breathing people just like you and me but when there’s next to nothing that remains of them it’s almost like they’re an enigma. Like you know they’re there but you can never quite see or touch them. That’s even more true for people from the Tudor period. But I feel like Hans was a god sent because while his portraits aren’t photographs they’re pretty darn close, especially when it comes to his sketches. There’s details like moles, wrinkles, facial hair, messy eyebrows, stubble on men, double chins etc basically things that we have today so I feel like his works are priceless and they give us a rare chance to look into the faces of people who lived and died almost 500 years ago and gives them their humanity back.. which is a mind blowing experience to be honest. Especially the ones where they’re looking straight at us, as they say the eyes are the windows of the soul. I’m a huge history nerd lol the Regency, Georgian and Tudor periods are my favorite time periods although the Tudor period is my #1 been into history almost my entire life and occasionally i’ll look up Hans’s portraits and they never cease to amaze me. Easily the most human and realistic looking. And as for the last two portraits- I really wanna believe that they’re Anne Boleyn but i’m unsure as well. That evil POS Henry murdered Anne and tried to erase her but she’s never been forgotten, the only thing he accomplished is making it to where people don’t know for sure what she looked like but she’s still on peoples lips all these centuries later. 💪🏼 Her and Elizabeth are my favorite Tudor people 😊 I think our best bet is to invent a time machine so we can see what Anne looked like in the flesh and to see Tudor history in action 😍 To be honest if time machines are invented in our lifetimes my family and friends will probably never see me again lol But good job on the video just found your channel and subbed ❤️

@nakinilerak 4 года назад

Thank you so much for this intriguing look at some of Holbein's portrait drawings. Apart from Anne of Cleves and Christina of Denmark, are there any finished portraits of that time period which display that fully frontal frank encounter with the subject's gaze? Several of Holbein's other female sitters do make eye contact, but from a sideways position. Given that Anne and Christina were both painted for a very specific purpose (meet your potential future wife, who is not hiding anything from your scrutiny), could the five have been preparatory drawings for a similar purpose? They are certainly a group that deserves more study.

@joan4115 4 года назад

I think the drawings show so much more facial details than the paintings. The pics just jump off the page and provides a special feeling of familiarity. Enjoyed.

@Rosedawn321 Год назад

The drawings are just so REAL! They look like ancient sepiatone photographs.

@roriemarie2968 4 года назад

It is possible Henry's kept it unnamed on purpose and maybe seeing her in a nightcap made him think of intimate moments with her. Maybe deep down he continued to love her in his own way I don't know. Either one of these women could have been AB.. there's something captivating about each one of their faces.

@charlotrisch5138 4 года назад

I think this a possibility. It could be those portraits are pictures of anne and mary bolyne one dark and mysterious smart firey. The other blonde fair complient. Def worth pondering. Id like to add that my younger sister and i have the same faces. My sister has olive skin dark eyes and hair. I have blonde hair and blue eyes and a light complection... But we have almost idenical builds and idenical faces and no we are not twins i am older than her by four years.

@brendadimarzio2337 4 года назад

I completely agree!

@flannerypedley840 4 года назад

@@charlotrisch5138 I agree with you. The "blonde" boleyn lady (she does seem to have fair lashes even if the blonde is just a band of gold cloth), does seem the spit of Elizabeth I, so could she be another of the Boleyn sisters? the other could plausibly be Anne, except for Henry owning the book. Would he not have destroyed it if he came accross it... or did the book lie dormant never looked at? He had so many prized possessins, perhaps it missed his attention. As for Lady no. 3, yes, she looks very much like Kat, even down to the modern face front expression and hint of something interesting about the eyes.

@alexwest1770 4 года назад

i was lucky enough to see some of holbein's drawings in person in 2018 and the impression they made on me was massive !! the detail in the faces of the drawings was insane and it really was like looking back into the eyes of these long dead people. also, I've been on a massive binge of your content over the last week and its revived my love of history so thank you very much for that !!!!

@margo3367 2 года назад

Hans Holbein created the portrait of Anne of Cleves, but he didn’t lose his head over it like Thomas Cromwell. That tells me his portraits are accurate. I wonder King Henry didn’t think about history when he destroyed Anne Boleyn’s portrait. Would love to have a definitive image of her today. I loved the sketches you showed! They are more realistic than the finished portraits. I didn’t know they existed. As always, thank you Dr. Kat.

@KiteFlyingVespa 3 года назад

There's just something about his work...you always know it when you see it. All his portraits are so realistic and alive, yet they all bear his distinct style.

@OUigot 3 года назад

I've never seen these drawings before, nor heard of Hans Holbein, but I think they're wonderful!! I'm glad I watched your video. As an artist, when I first looked at the portraits I immediately thought these are "tracings." Now, let me explain my reasoning, I watched a documentary a couple of years ago about artists during that period, the topic was "how did artists back then get their subjects so life like." The documentary went on to show how the artist would sit the subject in a room and with the use of mirrors, and light, reflect their image into a 2nd dark room in which the artist sat and traced the reflected light image of the subject. It was so simple. The subjects were to sit and stare at a hole, or side profile in front of the hole. Same hole their image was reflected into. My immediate thought was the images of the 5 ladies just look like they're staring at nothing with no emotion, because they were, they were staring at a hole. They probably sat there for an hour. Also, the hard lines, not soft lines, outlining each characters face, nose, eyes, chin, ears, is a classic sign of tracing. Drawing free hand the lines are much softer.

@ajohnsal 4 года назад

I have reproductions of Holbein's portraits of my ancestors, John and Francis Russell, the earls of Bedford, that hang in my library/den. It's so interesting to see what features were passed on to my Grandfather and uncles.

@cynthiamartin1631 4 года назад

Such a well presented and detailed video. I learn so much. I think, in my fairly ignorant state,vthat the drawing on the left is in fact Anne Boleyn. For some reason, I felt instant recognition when that one was posted.

@kathywilliams1050 4 года назад

Lady #3 has a masculine aspect: direct gaze, defined jaw, cleft chin, thin lips. Love the history,

@beitermf 3 года назад

I agree so much with your connection to the drawing of the third of five women. As soon as it came on screen, I felt a sort of shock. Not surprise, necessarily, but unexpected recognition. It feels as though great care was taken with her, like the artist had a connection with her that I'm now feeling too.

@LucasRichardStephens 3 года назад

The Artist, it seems to me, clearly sat with the subject for the drawings but unlikely at any great length for the paintings. This accounts for the slight loss so many commenters mention. It is a matter of what people had time for, now as then. The cloths on the other hand, display the same acuity of observation the drawings of the faces had, demonstrating that they were displayed in the studio for direct observation throughout the painting process. He had a great eye. Thanks for sharing your work, all the best, Lucas.

@jfs59nj 4 года назад

When I visited the NPG London I felt I was coming to visit old friends.

@steinhugel 3 года назад

As a one time amateur portrait artist, I was always fascinated by Holbein`s work but, especially his life at Tudor court, how he might have treated, was he largely ignored as just another craftsman or a welcome member celebrated for his excellent works. In this presentation I find the faces in the drawings to be a better representation and the final paintings to be little more flattering of the subjects, which was, for the most part, customary (as if to say, "This is what you look like, and this is what you think you look like.") Very enjoyable.

@NewMoonStarlight 4 года назад

The five sketches of women are so impressive. They look almost as good as photos! The eye contact of the women is interesting, because it's similar to Anne of Cleves' focus in the Holbein of her, but, because the eyes are more open and the expressions more neutral, they feel more attentive and forceful. I really wish that the final portraits were extant so we could see them in full colour with their clothes. The sketches said to be of Anne Boleyn don't really seem to match with descriptions of Anne by the more trustworthy ambassadors and chroniclers. She was said to possibly have some moles, and darker skin than was considered attractive at the time. Considering records of Anne's behaviour and consistent descriptions of her eyes as her most attractive feature, you would think that a Holbein sketch of her would be at least as arresting as the other five women. The sketch of the woman in underclothes is super cool in that it shows the undercap, though.

@drinkbooks 4 года назад

Of the five female portraits you asked us to examine; I'm with you, the middle one is very striking. When you line it up with the others it just doesn't fit the theme. She looks more recent, literally. Her coat, her collar, her facial structure, everything. If it wasn't for her head wear, she could be any woman up to the end of the Victorian era. Heck, she could be current if we accept the fact that people like Bernadette Banner and Cathy Hay still dress this way now. :D She is also clearer, more proportionate. The image is more careful and, perhaps, more personal. Perhaps he knew this woman well and wanted to capture her likeness for himself. It's not like there were cameras. She's lovely, whoever she was and I love this portrait. As for whether either of those portraits are actually Anne Boleyn; who knows? Henry, for all of his issues, was still human and did love her at one point. Perhaps, if the portrait from the book is her, he did actually want one picture of her. Maybe it was a more true likeness of the Woman and not the Wife and he didn't want to destroy it. Someone pointed out in an earlier comment that this picture does bear a rather strong resemblance to Elizabeth so I'm actually more inclined toward this theory. Maybe he saved it so his daughter could see what her mother looked like, regardless of how he felt or anything he did publicly to discredit her. As for the other, I think it's just as likely to be her, maybe as a younger woman or maybe just a little more flattering. If it was the drawing for the coronation it is of Anne before she was at court and pregnant. It would have been her portrait for posterity, not for personal consumption. It is equally likely that neither is her and are of completely different women entirely. :)

@angelakyle4838 3 года назад

Hi Dr Kat - I really feel that the two beautiful sketches do depict Anne Boleyn - I thought this when first watching this video some months ago.There has been a comparison done (which I’m sure you know about) which lines up the eyes, nose and mouth and they seem a perfect match. I get strong feelings when looking at these two sketches - feelings hard to describe. I think the left hand sketch (as viewed on your video) is a younger version of the lady on the right. Yes, they do look different but they are different angles and let’s remember how different we, and family members, can appear in various photos . That beautiful right hand sketch captures a certain melancholy and weighty seriousness, no doubt in part due to the downcast eyes. If it is a gold trim round the cap and not hair, it makes absolute sense - as the sitter is so understated, it is a perfect symbol of the lady’s high status. I absolutely agree with the other commenters who say that the sketches have something that the finished portraits don’t. Without the sumptuous clothing and all the bells and whistles of rank, they look hauntingly ordinary and very human.

@the_neutral_container 4 года назад

I totally agree about the drawings and especially the middle lady coming across very modern - in fact I noticed it even before it came up in the video. I think there might be a few things at play here -the women looking straight at the viewer (not very 16th century as you've said) -the minimalist style accented with a few patches of colour, something I wouldn't have expected from say pre-1920s art. That also gives the clothes a vague chanel-ish look -the fact that the woman in the middle portrait is rather dark and we usually associate english portraits of that time with mostly fair, ruddy nordic/celtic types.

@rachelbohannon8906 4 года назад

I just came across your videos yesterday, and I’ve already watched so many! They are so through and engaging! Can’t wait for more :)

@sophroniel 3 года назад

I'm newly convinced that the left drawing at 22:55 is Anne Bolyen, based on the comparison to the medal: look at the lip shape. It is a distinct and fairly uncommon shape, especially when paired with a full lip that seemingly lacks a defined vermilion border. The medal, for all it's been disfigured and is made of a medium that is difficult to get right, does still show the lip area quite well, and they match up pretty bang on. The hood shape and style is also a match, and the fact that they are a similar 3/4 position, even, is a supporting feature; the fact that they are mirrored is even a point in favour, as translating an image to a different medium often will flip backwards and forwards, and if Holbein was indeed using a camera obscura (as I personally think he was) it makes sense that it would be flipped from reality. The one thing that gave me pause was the eye colour; in the left sketch it's very obvious that he has put down blue for the iris. The hair and eyebrows are dark, which would make sense, however it's often said that Anne had dark eyes, so how would this blue be correct? I think it *is* correct, though. Dark blue eyes often read as "dark" or brown, and it could be that she had a dark green-hazel.... which would make sense as we often see a young Elizabeth with brown-ish hazel eyes, and we know Henry had blue eyes so, genetically, it would've made more sense for Anne to have had greeny hazel, or some form of light brown, or some other changeable shade. It's also possible that it was a darker pigment or some kind of mixed pigment that has not translated over the ages well, or simply a stylistic thing Holbein did, as I note we often see him doing any woman with eyes that aren't brown as quite light, with visible irises (possibly to make them look more attractive?) and it could've been a shorthand note for the sketch that he was making note of how he was going to translate her eye colour or a note that he *was* going to render her irises at all, as opposed to an indistinct, dark smoosh that would've been much easier. I think that lighter irises make someone look more open, uncomplicated and approachable in portraiture, and it may have been a small, conscious choice of the artist in how he was going to convey her--maybe a positive PR spin? I also wanted to note that the features of the left hand woman are not "plain", precisely, but they are such that they are not hugely distinct for an English woman. Without massively distinct features it becomes harder for lesser artists to render, which may be why we get such massive variance in how Anne has been portrayed; her features were, together with her personality, a distinct package but, without the delicate understanding of subtlety and nuance that someone like Holbein can skilfully unpack in the visual medium, it's something very, very difficult to convey (especially when you are sometimes rendering a copy of a copy of a copy--which is why Henry and Elizabeth took such great pains to carefully craft such a distinct visual persona!). Ultimately, I have no idea, but the whole lips thing and the way I think the sketch and the medal match? I find it a compelling and interesting idea to entertain ☺

@peggyh4805 Год назад

The drawings are wonderful, so much more lifelike than the formal portraits. 🇺🇸💙

@aquastarling 3 года назад

While 6 months late, I have a few ideas on why the third of the woman looking forward feels like it has more impact, or connection. (While I have no art degree, I do practice drawing people most every day of my life. What I saw is def. not law) It has darker lines, giving a clearer image of her face. It’s the most darkly shaded, once again, giving her a more defined space within the image. The darkness allows for the eyes to immediately look at the detail and spend less time figuring out where she ends, or where her clothing is and what the exact contours of her face are. The hair does not have the same blocky line-work because of how dark it is, allowing the viewer to do the work of filling in the hair details. Your mind is amazing at this, and it’s why when someone defines a few details but doesn’t draw every single piece it feels more real. Take old horror movies, some imagined far worse endings because it was left up to you and not directly shown. Lastly, it’s her proportions and clothing. The clothing typical of the Tudor era has a different shape than we are used to. It causes us to question how the body works. The outfit in the middle is different from the rest and is more like a modern fitted jacket. It fits our modern ideas of proportions. In summary, the darker line work, the darker colors requiring less detail and the different clothing gives her more easy to view to the eye and fits with modern proportion ideas. Thank you for coming to my Ted talk? :)

@Gwing7061 8 месяцев назад

I really loved this, thank you so much. Amazing portraits that tell so much about the subjects. Holbein definitely had insight into the personalities of the sitters. Amazing 🌼

@Peaceshiet812 4 года назад

These drawings are breathtaking, you are quite right, they have a freshness, a modernity, & intimacy that the paintings, incredible though they are, lack. I’ve just bought a book about these drawings to study them in more detail, THANKYOU 🥰🥰🥰