December 22: The Family of Henry VIII

This painting "The Family of Henry VIII" can be found on display in the Haunted Gallery at Hampton Court Palace. The artist is unknown but it was painted in England in c. 1545. Henry VIII was married to Catherine Parr at the time, but he chose to be depicted with his third wife, Jane Seymour, who, of course, was the mother of his only surviving son, the future Edward VI.

The Royal Collection Trust says of the painting:

"The Great Garden at Whitehall Palace, seen in the background of this painting, is the first recognisable garden in British art. Prominence is given to the garden feature known as the ‘king’s beasts’, carved and painted wooden heraldic beasts on poles. Their appearance in the gardens at Whitehall Palace and Hampton Court Palace, and in the painting of The Family of Henry VIII, serve as a visual symbol of Tudor dynastic supremacy."

In the painting, Henry VIII takes centre stage, flanked by his son, Edward, and Jane Seymour. Then, separated from that central family by pillars, we have the king's eldest daughter, Mary, on the left (the king's right), and the king's youngest daughter, Elizabeth, on the right (the king's left). On the very outsides of the painting, visible through archways are the royal fools, Jane the Fool on the left of the painting and William Somer on the right.

I always wonder what Catherine Parr thought of the painting!

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