An Expert Found Hidden Symbols In Henry VIII Paintings, Here’s What He Uncovered (Look Closer)
It's almost impossible to imagine English history without the unforgettable King Henry VIII. His powerhouse reign in the early 1500s elevated England's power, but we all know him best for his scandals, drama and outrageous lifestyle choices! But aside from the controversies of his personal life, what do we really know about this iconic ruler?
Thanks to a lucky discovery by an art history expert though, some of our burning questions may finally be answered. Read on to learn what they found while studying one of Hans Holbein's works!
Huge Task Of Painting The King
Hans Holbein, hailing from Germany, is considered to be one of the greatest portrait artists in history. His talent was so notable that he was commissioned by King Henry VIII himself to paint his likeness.
However, it is an earlier 1540 painting of the King which caught Moyle's eye and gave Holbein even more notoriety. Subsequently, the master artist worked closely with Henry VIII creating more portraits of people close to him too.
Family Of Artists
Raised by an artistic German family, Holbein was taught to paint by his father.
After embarking on multiple painting jobs throughout Europe during his early adult years, he eventually wound up in England as the court painter for King Henry VIII and quickly rose to fame as one of the country's foremost artists.
Franny Moyle, Art History Expert Did Some Research
Moyle, a celebrated art history expert, sought to uncover the hidden significance in vintage artwork and chose to delve deeper into the works of King Henry VIII's personal painter, Hans Holbein.
Through her investigation, Moyle uncovered a secret message tucked away in one of his less celebrated masterpieces.
Every Element Had A Purpose
Having already done prior research on Holbein's artwork, Moyle was spurred to dig a little deeper and discovered that he usually included secret messages or clues in his paintings that only those closest to the subject would understand.
She realized every component of the portrait had been intentionally placed for a unique purpose.
Basic Research Wasn't Enough
Moyle was studying a 1540 piece that appeared to be a portrait of one of Henry VIII's six wives, but couldn't quite identify which.
Her investigation revealed that the painting contained more complexities than initially perceived, which prompted her to further research the lives and relationships between Henry VIII and his consorts.
The Iconic Six Wives
The rule of King Henry VIII from 1509 until his death in 1547 is one of England's most memorable historical reigns.
His six marriages, full of conflict and controversy, have been immortalized by prominent painter Hans Holbein as a reflection of the king's personal relationships.
Henry Wanted An Heir
During this era, the king married in order to create an heir who would rule after him. He became king at 17-years-old and was married for the first time a month later.
His first wife was Catherine of Aragon and the pair had six children, but only one (Mary) survived into adulthood.
An Illegal Divorce
After realizing that Catherine had not given him a suitable heir, he asked the Pope for a divorce. Even after he refused, Henry defied him and did so anyway.
He later founded the Church of England and married his second wife Anne Boleyn in 1533. There would soon be trouble ahead.
No Male Heir From Anne
Anne was not able to give Henry a male heir, which was devastating to the king. He did everything he could to break off the union, including accusing her of adultery and other crimes.
The king was the most powerful man in the country, so he called for Anne's beheading.
Moving On To Jane Seymour
Within days after Anne's beheading, King Henry VIII married his third wife Jane Seymour. She was able to give birth to a male heir who would later become King Edward VI.
However, Jane did not make it more than a few weeks after his birth. This was a huge tragedy for Henry.
A Fourth Marriage Thrust Upon Him
Since the passing of Jane was very traumatic for the king, he was reluctant to marry again. He was later advised to marry one of the two sisters from a royal German family.
After seeing their portraits, he chose Anne of Cleves. After seeing her in person, he thought she was unattractive and got the marriage annulled.
Catherine Howard Enters The Picture
With his fourth marriage only lasting a few days, he then set his sights on the 19-year-old Catherine Howard.
Similarly to Anne Boleyn, the king wanted to divorce his fifth wife and accused her of adultery and other crimes. She was later beheaded in 1542 making Henry a single man once again.
The Sixth And Final Wife
A year after the beheading of Catherine Howard, Henry married his sixth wife Catherine Parr. Historians believe she was quite influential after changing the culture of English royalty for good.
Parr was always there for the king's support, including her help in mending his relationship with the Tudor court and during the war against France.
The End Of An Era
About four years into their marriage, Henry finally passed. Catherine Parr also met her fate a year later.
All of this information about King Henry VIII, his six wives, and his royal painter is what helped Moyle uncover some new details about the 1540 painting. She was ready to share her findings.
Miniatures Were Popular
It was common for figures of note to have their own portrait artist, but during this time certain portraits were very popular.
Holbein was asked to create miniature portraits of the king and those close to him. These kinds of portraits were favored at the time, so people could carry them around easily.
Who Would Have Miniature Portraits?
Typically, the people who would be fortunate enough to have their own miniature portraits were those in the aristocracy.
These people were known for having dramatic relationships with others and would use them to be shared amongst themselves. One particular miniature portrait caught the eyes of Moyle and she was ready to decipher its contents.
The Identity Of The Woman In The Portrait
The piece was created in 1540 by Holbein and was thought to depict Henry VIII's fifth wife Catherine Howard. Moyle soon realized that this was inaccurate.
She exclaimed that the woman was not Catherine Howard, but instead the king's fourth wife Anne of Cleves. Most art historians didn't believe her claims at first.
Explaining Her Hypothesis
Moyle knew that Holbein would often include hidden symbols and signs in his paintings, which weren't obvious to most observers.
First, she noticed that the miniature painting had been mounted to a playing card. This wasn't the first time Holbein had done this. He had also done another miniature with a playing card for Thomas Cromwell.
The Thomas Cromwell Painting
Thomas Cromwell was an important figure in King Henry VIII's court. The miniature painting Holbein did for Cromwell was on an ace of spades playing card.
Cromwell had a reputation for speaking in blunt, plain terms, which could go with the famous saying "to call a spade a spade." The playing card choice was no coincidence.
The Playing Card In The 1540 Painting
Holbein loved including little visual teasers in his work. The playing card used for the 1540 painting was on a four of diamonds. The four is referring to Henry's fourth wife Anne of Cleves.
Since the four is present, this debunks the myth that it is a painting of his fifth wife Catherine Howard.
How To Be Sure
Holbein wouldn't have chosen a playing card at random for this painting. Both Catherine and Anne were married to Henry during the year this piece was painted.
It gave them both an equal chance to be the subject in the portrait, so Moyle looked at more details just to be sure.
Getting The Details Organized
Moyle was drawn to the large jewels the woman is wearing in the painting, which could have belonged to either Catherine or Anne.
Art historians thought the pendant belonged to Henry's third wife Jane Seymour. "When Henry got rid of one wife, he was in the habit of handing down their belongings to their successors," said Moyle, according to The Guardian.
Catherine And Anne Had A Big Age Gap
Moyle was able to solidify her theory by looking at the woman's face. Catherine was a teenager when she married Henry, while Anne was in her late twenties.
The face of the woman was arguably older, which would lead Moyle to eliminate Catherine as an option. Moyle needed to look for other Holbein paintings to make her claim.
It's Obviously Anne Of Cleves
Moyle was able to find another portrait of Anne of Cleves and found it to be a match to the 1540 miniature.
"They're the same woman. She has this soporific expression in both paintings," said Moyle. While Anne usually wore traditional German clothes, she is wearing English clothing in the portrait to appease the king in order to be considered more attractive.
A Hopeful Do-Over
Anne was worried that the king was going to divorce her, so she did anything she could to win his affection.
"So, I think there's a good reason why, in early 1540 [Anne]…might suggest Holbein paint her again, so that in the little miniature that Henry had in his pocket, he could see a version of Anne that was more appealing," said Moyle.
