Hans Holbein the Younger, Volume 2 (of 2)Chamberlain, Arthur B. (Arthur Bensley)
History
Hans Holbein the Younger, Volume 2 (of 2)
Chamberlain, Arthur B. (Arthur Bensley)
Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543 -- Criticism and interpretation; Painters -- Germany -- Biography
There are several miniatures of Queen Jane Seymour in existence, in most
cases attributed to Holbein, all, with one exception, closely following
the portrait of that Queen in the Vienna Gallery, upon which they are
evidently based. Among the best are two which were in the Burlington
Fine Arts Club Exhibition, lent by Mr. Vernon Watney and by the Duke of
Buccleuch. The former (Case B, 2),[535] inscribed merely “A^ON XXV,” is
said to have belonged originally to the Seymour family, and to have been
given by Charles, Duke of Somerset, to his granddaughter, Elizabeth
Wyndham, wife of the Right Hon. George Grenville, from whom it passed
into the possession of the Duke of Buckingham. It was afterwards in the
Sackville Bale and Lumsden Propert collections. Sir George Scharf
considered this miniature to be a portrait of Anne Boleyn, and regarded
the “XXV” as the King’s regnal date, and not as that of the lady’s
age;[536] but the likeness to Jane Seymour is stronger, though not very
marked. Mr. C. F. Bell points out[537] that the likeness of the sitter
to Lady Hemingham or Heveningham (“Henegham”), as she is represented in
the fine drawing at Windsor,[538] is much more pronounced, and he
suggests that the miniature was painted from the portrait of that lady,
taken from the drawing, which has now disappeared. Mr. Watney’s
miniature, however, closely resembles the one belonging to the Duke of
Buccleuch (Case C, 5),[539] though the latter has no inscription and the
pendant jewel set with large pearls is absent. This last portrait
belonged to Horace Walpole, and by him was regarded as representing
Katherine of Aragon, and under that name it passed from the Strawberry
Hill sale into the hands of Mr. Blamire, and afterwards into its present
ownership. It appears to be, however, an undoubted portrait of Henry’s
third queen. Another miniature of Jane Seymour was lent to the same
exhibition by Mr. H. Dent-Brocklehurst (Case B, 6),[540] attributed like
the others to Holbein, which was also formerly in the possession of
Horace Walpole. The portrait of this queen is also among the four
miniatures attached to the enamelled jewel, of Nicholas Hilliard’s
workmanship, in the royal collection at Windsor, mentioned above. It is
inscribed “ANŌ DNĪ 1536 ÆTATIS SVÆ 27,” which no doubt appeared on the
original miniature by Holbein, now lost, from which all these others are
also derived.
Footnote 535:
Reproduced in the _Burlington Fine Arts Club Catalogue_, Pl. xxxii.;
Ganz, _Holbein_, p. 148 (1).
Footnote 536:
_Archæologia_, vol. xl., 1866, p. 81.
Footnote 537:
In a communication to Dr. Ganz. See _Holbein_, p. 245.
Footnote 538:
Woltmann, 333; Wornum, ii. 25; Holmes, ii. 12.
Footnote 539:
Reproduced in the _Burlington Fine Arts Club Catalogue_, Pl. xxxii.
Footnote 540:
Reproduced in the _Burlington Fine Arts Club Catalogue_, Pl. xxxii.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account