December 6: Mary I and Philip II of Spain

Today's painting is by Hans Eworth, a Flemish painter who did a number of portraits of Mary I. This is a double portrait of Mary and her husband, Philip II of Spain, and it's from the collection at Woburn Abbey.

I love this portrait because it makes me chuckle - Philip's legs are so terribly thin that it makes you wonder how they carried his weight, and the dogs are the size of rats! It's very strange!