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Portrait miniature
  • Portrait miniature
    Hans Holbein, born 1497 - died 1543
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Portrait miniature

  • Place of origin:

    Germany (probably, painted)
    England, Great Britain (probably, made)

  • Date:

    1539 (painted)
    16th century (made)

  • Artist/Maker:

    Hans Holbein, born 1497 - died 1543 (painter (artist))
    Unknown (painter (artist))

  • Materials and Techniques:

    [Miniature] Watercolour on vellum put down on a playing card
    [Lid] Turned ivory

  • Credit Line:

    Bequeathed by George Salting

  • Museum number:

    P.153:1, 2-1910

  • Gallery location:

    British Galleries, room 58e, case 5

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Object Type
The art of painting miniatures in watercolour was introduced to England in the 1520s by the Flemish artist Gerard Horenbout and his son Lucas and daughter Susanna. When Hans Holbein came to England from Switzerland in 1532 to work for Henry VIII, he was an established painter in oil on panel. But miniatures had become an established court art and Holbein clearly found it advisable to learn this new watercolour art.

Historical Associations
In 1539 it became politically necessary for Henry to form an alliance with Protestant Germany and it was suggested that Henry marry one of the daughters of the Duke of Cleves. Henry needed to judge whether to proceed with the marriage treaty and Holbein was despatched to paint Anne and her sister Amelia. When Anne arrived in England, Henry thought her 'nothing so fair as had been reported', but the marriage still took place, in 1540. A few months later Henry decided the alliance was no longer necessary and the marriage was declared null. He designated Anne 'King's sister' and she settled down to life in England.

Container
The ivory box is probably contemporary with the miniature. It was turned on a lathe. Such skilled turning of ivory was unknown in England at this date but was common in Germany. It is possible that Holbein had the box specially made while he was in Germany, painting Anne of Cleves.

Physical description

Portrait miniature of a woman, full face, head and shoulders, to front, in a circular box with a lid, into which is carved a Tudor rose, the petals formed from concentric circles.
[Miniature] Portrait, head and shoulders, full face to front; wearing a headdress and a crucifix; the background in blue.
[Lid] Turned ivoyr box, circular, in the form of a Tudor rose, the surface of the lid has been cut into to form the petals of the rose in concentric circles.

Place of Origin

Germany (probably, painted)
England, Great Britain (probably, made)

Date

1539 (painted)
16th century (made)

Artist/maker

Hans Holbein, born 1497 - died 1543 (painter (artist))
Unknown (painter (artist))

Materials and Techniques

[Miniature] Watercolour on vellum put down on a playing card
[Lid] Turned ivory

Dimensions

Diameter: 44.5 cm

Object history note

Provenance: First recorded in 1720 by George Vertue as follows: “a head of Anne of Cleves, painted Curiously a limning in a round Ivory box turn’d finely like a Rose with loose leaves, this done by Holbein, probably the picture that was done to show King Henry before she came over Mr. Alexander” (Notebooks, I, p. 65); it is not clear from this whether the Mr. Alexander was or was not its owner; next recorded by Vertue, 1732, when in the collection of Colonel James Seymour (1658(?)-1739): “The picture of Anne a Cleve I had another View of it in the Possession of Col. Seamor. it is a round Curious turnd Ivory box the head only in full fron. the ground blew. painted by Holbein. & supposed to be the Very picture showd to the King Hen. 8.-“ (Notebook, IV, p. 45); Colonel James Seymour was father of the painter. Vertue records the “he drew and limned very ingeniously. he allwayes was conversant with the nobles & virtuosi of his Time all Lovers & practitioners of the Arts of Painting Scripture graving &c – as well as mechanical works of Arts. had an infinite number of curious, pictures drawing & print of all kinds past thro’ his hands was in great esteem” (Notebooks, III, p. 86); probably in the sale that followed his death it was purchased by the collector Thomas Barrett of Lee Priory, Kent (1698-1757) in whose possession Vertue records it c.1 739: “Anne a Cleve. a curious limning in an Ivory box finely turnd. done by Hans Holben” (Notebooks, IV, 1935-36, p. 156); engraved 1739 by Houbracken with slight variants and inscribed: Holben pinxit. In the Collection of Thomas Barret Esqr; descended to his son Thomas Barrett Brydges of Denton Court; during this period it is recorded at Lee, first in 1794 by Horace Walpole (letter to the Misses Berry, 28th September 1794) and by Sir Thomas Croft in 1825 (letter of August 10th 1825 to his aunt, Elizabeth Croft, in the possession of the late Edward Croft Murray); sold in 1826 to a dealer named Tuck (Chamberlain Holbein, II, p. 182); resold to Francis Douce, the antiquary (1757-1834); there it formed part of the Doucean Museum: “no. 26 a beautiful miniature by Holbein, like the last, in an ivory box, but the cover elaborately carved so as to imitate the English rose, 1539” (Gentleman’s Magazine, March, 1836, pp. 245ff.); passed to his second cousin, Lt-Col. Augustus Meyrick whose son bequeathed it to Miss Eleanor Davies (d.1933) who sold it to George Saltingl bequeathed with the Salting Collection to the V&A 1910.
[Lid] The turned ivory box is the only original box to survive from this period and not parallel has yet been found.

Descriptive line

Miniature portrait of Anne of Cleves in a circular turned ivory box, by Hans Holbein the younger, 1539.
[Miniature] Portrait miniature of Anne of Cleves, watercolour on vellum, by Hans Holbein, 1539.
[Lid] Turned ivory box, probably English, 16th century.

Bibliographic References (Citation, Note/Abstract, NAL no)

Foister, Susan. Holbein in England. London: Tate Publishing, 2006. 191 p. : ill. 1854376454 9781854376459.
100 Great Paintings in The Victoria & Albert Museum.London: V&A, 1985, pp. 38-39. 220 p. : col. ill. 094810769X (hbk.); 0905209370 (pbk.).
The following is the full text of the entry:

"Hans Holbein the younger, 1497-1543
German School
ANNE OF CLEVES (1515-1557), FOURTH WIFE OF HENRY VIII, KING OF ENGLAND
Water-colour, on vellum; in circular turned ivory box in the form of a rose. Sight size 4.35 cm. Diameter of box 6.1 cm. Diameter of lid
5.95 cm
P.153-1910. Salting Bequest.
Holbein was born in Augsburg, the son and, eventually, the pupil of a painter of the same name. About 1514 he went to Basle where he was initially principally employed as a designer for printers. He remained in that city, apart from short visits to France and - possibly - Italy, until 1526, when he paid his first visit to England. He remained there until 1528 and painted a number of portraits of courtiers, including the famous group portrait of the More family. On his return to Basle he found that the fanaticism of Protestant extremism severely reduced the amount of work available to him. He returned to England in 1532, remaining there until his death and enjoying royal and court patronage from 1536.

Queen Jane Seymour died in 1537 and in 1539 Thomas Cromwell, then Lord Treasurer and later Earl of Essex, opened negotiations for the King's marriage to Anne, daughter of the Protestant Duke of Cleves, such an alliance appearing politically advantageous. The English ambassador cautiously reported that 'I hear no great praise of her personage, nor of her beauty' and in the Spring of 1539 the King asked for a portrait, but none was forthcoming. In the Summer the King sent Holbein to Duren, near Cologne, to paint Anne's portrait. An oil-painting, now in the Louvre, and the present miniature resulted.

The marriage treaty was signed in September and Anne reached England in December, to be greeted with dismay by her wooer who thought her no better than 'a Flander's mare'. However, the marriage took place in January 1540, to be followed in July by an annulment on the grounds of non consummation. The political miscalculation cost Cromwell his life at the end of that July, but the ex-queen was well-treated and lived contentedly in England until her death.

Whatever the relationship of the portrait to reality Horace Walpole's high praise of the miniature as 'the most exquisitely perfect of all Holbein's works, as well as in the highest preservation' remains apposite. The ivory box in which the miniature is housed probably dates from the 17th century.

The history of the portrait of ‘Mrs Pemberton’ is veiled in obscurity. The sitter is traditionally believed to be Elizabeth Throckmorton, wife of Robert Pemberton, although the identification cannot be proved. The arms, dated 1556, which appear on the reverse of the case are Pemberton above Longworth impaling More and appear to relate to a Pemberton-More marriage some fifteen or sixteen years later than the miniature itself, which must be dated to c.1540.
The nature of the connection between the portrait and the arms is as yet unexplained. Whatever the identity of the sitter this cool, dispassionate portrait exemplifies (along with the Anne of Cleves portrait) a recent critical comment that 'For Holbein himself scale seems to have been almost a matter of indifference; it was simply a question of what size of image was wanted' and that it 'is as dense and monumental in characterization as any bigger portrait'.

Harold Barkley"
Susan Doran, ed. Henry VIII. Man & Monarch. London: British Library, 2009. ISBN: 978 0 7123 5026 6.
Exhibition catalogue
Marks, Richard and Paul Williamson, eds. Gothic: Art for England, 1400-1547. London: V&A Publications, 2003. 496 p.: ill. 1851774017 (hbk); 1851774025 (pbk).

Exhibition History

Artists of the Tudor Court: the portrait miniature rediscovered, 1520-1620 (Victoria and Albert Museum 09/07/1983-06/11/19833)
Henry VIII, Man and Monarch (British Library 22/04/2009-06/09/2009)
Holbein in England (Tate 28/09/2006-07/01/2007)
Gothic: Art for England 1400-1547 (Victoria and Albert Museum 09/10/2003-18/01/2004)

Labels and date

British Galleries:
Holbein visited Germany to paint a full-size portrait of Anne (1515-1557) as a prospective bride for Henry VIII. This miniature probably dates from the same time. Miniatures were items for personal use, set as jewels or, as in this case, kept in a special box as a keepsake. Anne was the king's fourth wife and the marriage lasted only six months. She was divorced and lived in comfortable retirement in England. [27/03/2003]
Portrait of Anne of Cleves
1539

Hans Holbein the Younger
1497/8-1543

In 1539 Holbein was sent to Germany to bring back portraits of Anne and Amelia, daughters of the Count of Cleaves, as possible brides for Henry VIII. Though attractive in the portrait , Anne failed to please the king in the flesh and the marriage was soon annulled.

Gum on vellum, in ivory case (probably not the original)
Painted in London from a drawing made in Düren, Cleves (now Germany)

V&A: P.153:1, 2-1910
Cat. 18 [2003]

Materials

Watercolour; Card; Ivory; Vellum

Techniques

Painting; Turning

Subjects depicted

Anne of Cleves

Categories

British Galleries; Portraits; Paintings

Collection code

PDP

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Qr_O18966
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