December 3: Henry VIII's Stance
Today, I'm sharing a preparatory sketch done by Hans Holbeing the Younger of Henry VIII for a mural commissioned by the king for Whitehall Palace. The finished mural featured Henry VIII and his third wife, Queen Jane Seymour, along with Henry's parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York. Sadly, Holbein's mural was destroyed in a fire in 1698 and we only have this sketch and copies of the mural made for King Charles II, including this one by Remigius van Leemput.
The image of Henry VIII with his wide shoulders, legs apart and rather large codpiece has been copied by many other artists and is the image of Henry that many people have in their minds - an image of power.
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