Portrait King Henry VIII Prototype Wearing the Badge of the Order of the Garter





Click images to enlarge



Description




English School, Mid-18th Century
Portrait of King Henry VIII, circa 1750
After Hans Holbein the Younger

Georgian Oil on Oak Panel | Tudor Royal Cabinet Portrait

Highlights

• Refined mid-18th-century cabinet portrait of King Henry VIII.
• English School, circa 1750.
• Oil on a single chamfered oak panel.
• Bust-length portrait presented within a painted feigned oval.
• Derived from the celebrated royal imagery established by Hans Holbein the Younger.
• Appears closely related to George Vertue’s engraved portraits of Henry VIII after Holbein.
• Displays a pendant or insignia traditionally associated with the Order of the Garter.
• Retains an impressive carved 18th-century giltwood frame, understood to be original to the painting.
• Early German descriptive label retained verso.
• Professionally conserved in January 2026.
• Accompanied by a detailed conservation treatment report with photographic documentation.
• Privately loaned and exhibited at the Famous Lord Hill Museum.

Introduction

An intimate and historically resonant mid-18th-century English cabinet portrait of King Henry VIII, painted in oil on a single chamfered oak panel.

The monarch is shown bust-length within a painted feigned oval, wearing a richly decorated cap with feather plume, elaborate Tudor costume and a jewelled pendant or insignia traditionally associated with the Order of the Garter.

Executed circa 1750, the painting belongs to the Georgian antiquarian revival of Tudor history. Its composition draws upon the authoritative royal likeness established by Hans Holbein the Younger and transmitted to later generations through painted copies and engraved reproductions.

The arrangement appears particularly close to George Vertue’s 1733 engraved portrait of Henry VIII after Holbein, which similarly presents the king bust-length within an oval, wearing a feathered cap and medallion.

Catalogue Details

Artist: Unknown English artist

School: English School

Date: Circa 1750

Title: Portrait of King Henry VIII

After: Hans Holbein the Younger

Possible printed source: A portrait engraving by George Vertue after Holbein

Medium: Oil on oak panel

Support: Single chamfered oak panel

Format: Bust-length portrait within a painted feigned oval

Subject: King Henry VIII (1491–1547)

Signature: Unsigned

Reverse: Early German descriptive label

Frame: Carved 18th-century giltwood frame, understood to be original to the painting

Conservation: Professionally conserved in January 2026

Catalogue Note

Henry VIII is represented frontally with a slight turn of the head, meeting the viewer with a steady and commanding gaze.

The feigned oval isolates the king from the dark background, giving the portrait the appearance of a painted medallion. This format was especially suitable for the libraries, studies and antiquarian collections in which small historic portraits were displayed during the Georgian period.

The face is modelled through controlled linear definition and restrained tonal transitions. The artist gives particular attention to the eyes, beard and contours of the cheeks, preserving the distinctive physical characteristics associated with Henry’s established portrait type.

The richly ornamented cap and feather plume are defined with crisp highlights. Warm tones within the king’s costume contrast with the dark ground, while the jewelled collar and pendant introduce points of reflected light.

The painting’s compact scale does not diminish its presence. Instead, the substantial carved frame and intimate panel combine to create the jewel-like character associated with historic cabinet pictures.

The Holbein Prototype and Print Culture

Hans Holbein the Younger completed his monumental dynastic mural for Whitehall Palace in 1537. The composition showed Henry VIII with Jane Seymour and his parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York.

Although the original mural was destroyed during the Whitehall Palace fire of 1698, its appearance survived through preparatory material, painted copies and later engravings.

Holbein’s uncompromising frontal image established the most influential visual representation of Henry VIII. It conveyed authority through the king’s direct gaze, physical presence, magnificent costume and wealth of dynastic symbolism.

The present portrait does not reproduce the entire Whitehall composition. Instead, it belongs to a later bust-length tradition disseminated through prints after Holbein.

George Vertue played a particularly important role in preserving and circulating Tudor royal imagery during the 18th century. His engraved portrait of Henry VIII, published in 1733, depicts the king within an architectural oval wearing a feathered cap, embroidered costume and medallion.

The visual relationship between that engraving and the present panel provides a plausible context for the portrait’s creation during the Georgian antiquarian period.

The Garter Insignia

Henry VIII was Sovereign of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.

In formal Tudor portraits, the king may be shown wearing the elaborate Garter collar and the Great George pendant representing Saint George and the dragon.

Later painted and engraved derivatives sometimes simplified royal jewellery and insignia. The radiating jewelled ornament and pendant shown in the present portrait may represent a schematised reference to Garter insignia, although its precise heraldic form cannot be established conclusively from the painting alone.

The Sitter

Henry VIII was born in 1491 and succeeded his father, Henry VII, as King of England in 1509.

His reign brought profound political, religious and cultural change. The break with papal authority and the establishment of royal supremacy over the Church of England transformed the relationship between monarchy, church and state.

Henry’s reign also witnessed the dissolution of the monasteries, major developments in royal administration and an extensive programme of artistic and architectural patronage.

His court attracted important artists, musicians, craftsmen and scholars. Among them was Hans Holbein the Younger, whose portraits became central to the visual identity of the Tudor dynasty.

The Artist and Georgian Antiquarian Context

The artist has not presently been identified but appears to have worked in England during the middle of the 18th century.

The controlled modelling, engraving-derived composition, oak-panel support and emphasis upon historical likeness are characteristic of antiquarian cabinet portraiture.

During the Georgian period, collectors displayed portraits of monarchs, noble families and notable historical figures in country houses, libraries and private studies. Such paintings allowed their owners to create visual narratives of British history and dynastic continuity.

The present portrait reflects this interest in the Tudor past. Its small scale suggests that it was intended for close inspection within a private collection rather than for formal state display.

Frame

The painting is presented in an impressive carved 18th-century wooden frame, understood to be original to the panel.

The frame retains its historic carved structure and substantial architectural depth. It has been more recently overpainted in gilt.

Age-related wear includes losses to the gilt surface, cracking, small chips and historic repairs. These characteristics contribute to the frame’s period appearance while confirming its long history of use.

Provenance

Private German collection, supported by an early descriptive label retained verso.

Gorringes Auctioneers, Sussex, Fine Art & Interiors.

Curated by Cheshire Antiques Consultant LTD®.

Subsequently privately loaned and exhibited in:

The Antiquarian King: Henry VIII and the Georgian Revival of Tudor Portraiture, Famous Lord Hill Museum.

The surviving German label provides evidence of historic Continental ownership and demonstrates the international appeal of English royal portraiture.

Dimensions

Panel:
15 cm high × 15 cm wide

Framed:
35 cm high × 35 cm wide × 7 cm deep

All measurements are approximate.

Condition Report

Professional Conservation

The painting underwent professional conservation treatment in January 2026 by Vanessa Andrew M.A., Fine Art Conservator, identified in the accompanying report as based at Williamson Art Gallery.

The documented treatment included:

• Removal of surface dirt using a 2% tri-ammonium citrate solution in water.
• Reduction and removal of aged varnish using propanol applied through Stoddard solvent.
• Removal of historic overpaint during varnish reduction.
• Filling of paint losses using Mowiol G4-88 and whiting.
• Retouching with dry pigments dispersed in Paraloid B72.
• Application of a Paraloid B72 varnish layer.
• Final application of a protective MS2A varnish layer.

Photographic documentation showing the painting before, during and after treatment accompanies the conservation report.

The conservation treatment has improved tonal clarity and chromatic balance while retaining the historic character of the painted surface.

Panel Condition

The single oak panel is structurally stable.

Age-related craquelure remains visible. Historic paint losses have been professionally filled and retouched.

The painted surface is stable, with no active flaking presently visible. There is no evident active splitting or movement within the panel.

Frame Condition

The carved 18th-century wooden frame remains structurally sound.

Visible wear includes gilt losses, surface cracking, small chips and historic repairs. The frame has been more recently overpainted in gilt, with its underlying carved structure retained.

A full digital copy of the January 2026 conservation report is available to serious prospective collectors upon request.

Please inspect all listing photographs carefully, as they form an important part of the condition report.



Reserve: $19,980.00

Shipping:

Domestic: Shipping rates are determined by destination

International: Foreign shipping rates are determined by destination. International shipping may be subject to VAT.

Combined shipping: Please ask about combined shipping for multiple lots before bidding.

Location: This item ships from United Kingdom

Your purchase is protected:
In the rare event that the item did not conform to the lot description in the sale, Jasper52 specialists are here to help. Buyers may return the item for a full refund provided you notify Jasper52 within 5 days of receiving the item.