Holbein Portraits: A Matter of Life and Death

Clear lecture online from National Gallery putting their Holbein portraits into context.

Gallery Educator Katy Tarbard took us though Holbein’s life then focused on the paintings in their own collection and where they fit into Tudor history. She also looked at a portrait of Erasmus which is currently on loan from Longford Castle so it is worth a National Gallery revisit to see it.

She took us though some of the symbolism in The Ambassadors and told us how the two sitters were in England for the marriage of Anne Boleyn then had to stay for the birth of the child she was carrying. She also talked about Henry’s quest to find a new wife following Jane Seymour’s death leading to the painting of the wonderful full length picture of Christina of Denmark.

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