Oil painting, 'Elizabeth of York, Queen of Henry VII', British School, style of 16th century

Bequeathed by John Forster

Given to the Museum by John Forster (1812-1876, writer and literary adviser) in 1876. John Forster (1812-1876) was born in Newcastle, the son of a cattle dealer. Educated at Newcastle Grammar School and University College London, he was a student in the Inner Temple 1828 and qualified as a barrister 1843. Began his career as a journalist as dramatic critic of the <u>True Sun</u> 1832; he later edited the <u>Foreign Quarterly Review</u> (1842-3), the <u>Daily News</u> (1846) and most famously the <u>Examiner</u> (1847-55). He was the author of numerous works, notably the <u>Life and Adventures of Oliver Goldsmith</u> (1848) and the <u>Life of Charles Dickens</u> (1872-4). He bequeathed his extensive collection of books, pamphlets, manuscripts, prints, drawings, watercolours and oil paintings to the V&A.
See also <u>South Kensington Museum Art Handbooks. The Dyce and Forster Collections. With Engravings and Facsimiles</u>. Published for the Committee of Council on Education by Chapman and Hall, Limited, 193, Piccadilly, London. 1880. <u>Chapter V. Biographical Sketch of Mr. Forster</u>. pp.53-73, including 'Portrait of Mr. Forster' illustrated opposite p.53.


Historical significance: Elizabeth of York (1466-1503), was the eldest child of King Edward IV (1442-1483), King of England from 1461 to 1470, and Elizabeth Woodville (circa 1437-1492). Elizabeth of York was made Lady of the Garter in 1477. At the death of her father in 1483, Elizabeth’s younger brother became King of England under the name of Edward V (1470-1483). Due to the young age of Edward, their uncle, Richard Plantagenet (1452-1485), Duke of Gloucester, was designated regent. After two months of Richard's regency, the marriage of King Edward IV and Elizabeth Woodville was proved void. This resulted in an act of parliament being passed, that made their children illegitimate. Edward V was subsequently deposed and their uncle Richard, Duke of Gloucester, declared King Richard III. Following this Elizabeth Woodville formed an alliance with Lady Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509), to support her son Henry Tudor’s (1457-1509) claim to the throne. This allegiance was strengthened by the planned marriage of Elizabeth of York with Henry Tudor in the event that he claimed the English throne. Following victory against Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth field in 1485, Henry Tudor was crowned King of England and Lord of Ireland. His marriage to Elizabeth of York in 1486 unified the previously opposed families of York and Lancaster, creating a period of peace and prosperity. Following their marriage, Elizabeth was crowned on the 25th November 1487. She was known for being gentle and kind to her subjects and to have enjoyed music and dancing. The historian Polydor Vergil (c.1470-1555) describing the Queen wrote: “…a woman indeed intelligent above all others and equally beautiful”(Polydor Vergil, Anglica Historia 1485-1537 [RHS Camden Series Vol. 74, ed. Denys Hay]). Their union produced seven children including Henry VIII (1491-1547); Margaret, later Queen consort of Scotland (1489-1541); and Mary, later Queen Consort of France (1496-1533). Henry VII deeply mourned the death of his wife following the birth of their last child Katherine in 1501. He held a lavish funeral for her and commissioned the Italian artist Pietro Torrigiano to build a monumental tomb for himself and his wife in the Lady Chapel of Westminster Abbey.

This three quarter length portrait is longer than most of Elizabeth of York, which are generally bust length. A portrait of Henry VII (V&A inventory number F.45) was bequeathed by Forster along with F.46. The similar dimensions and composition suggest that these were created as pendants, to be displayed together. The fact that the sitters each turn to face each other further strengthens this possibility. The sitter stands against a dark background. This compositional feature was introduced by Netherlandish artists. The King favoured foreign artists, especially those from the Netherlands and Flanders.

This three-quarter length portrait shows the Queen with her hands in prayer, holding a rosary, turning slightly to her right. She wears a late fifteenth-century dress of black velvet. White cuffs protrude from the long sleeves and a white ruff is worn around her neck. The small ruff is mid sixteenth-century in style, suggesting that the portrait was painted after the Queen‘s death in 1501. Her head is covered by a gabled hood of the late fifteenth century.

The majority of portaits of Elizabeth of York are bust length and few in this longer format survive. One other example is the full length figure of the Queen in Holbein's Privy Chamber fresco at Whitehall of 1537 (see J. Rowlands, Holbein, Oxford, 1985, p. 225, no. L.14.) A copy by Remigiius van Leemput of this lost work is in the Royal Collection and the cartoon for the original fresco is at the National Portrait Gallery, London). In the cartoon the Queen is shown in similar dress. Her features suggest that, as with F.46, she is depicted towards the end of her life. During the sixteenth century portraits were often copied from an original model or source. It is likely that both Holbein and the artist of F.45 may have used the same source, now lost, for their representation of the Elizabeth of York (See: Strong, Roy C., 1995-1998, vol. 1, pp. 32-33).

This is one of four portraits of the Tudor Royal family that was in Forster’s collection. These included portraits of Henry VII (F. 45); Edward VI (F.47); Mary Queen of Scots (F.48) and Forster acquired this painting from the Rev. R. E. Landor (1781-1869).

The inscription on the frame identifies the sitter as being “Elizabeth of York, Queen of Henry VII”. Moreover the inventory number and the writing “Painter unknown” appear on the frame.

References:
Polydor Vergil, Anglica Historia, 1485-1537 [RHS Camden Series Vol. 74, ed. Denys Hay;
Exhibition catalogue, Burlington Fine Arts Club, Exhibition Illustrative of Early English Portraiture, London, 1909;
Piper, David, Sir, The English Face. With 145 illustration in photogravure, London: Thames and Hudson, 1957;
Strong, Roy C., The Tudor and Stuart Monarchy: pageantry, painting, iconography, Woodbridge: Boydell Press, 1995-1998, vol. 1;
Strong, Roy, Tudor & Jacobean Portraits, National Portrait Gallery, London, 1969, vol. 1.

F.46