This winter, a major exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace brings together over 100 works from Henry VIII’s court, including drawings, paintings and miniatures by Hans Holbein the Younger drawn from the Royal Collection, one of the most important surviving groups of the artist’s work. Together, they will form the largest group of Holbein’s works from the Royal Collection to be exhibited in over 30 years.

Hans Holbein the Younger, Mary Shelton, later Lady Heveningham, c.1543? (Credit: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023.)

Holbein at the Tudor Court takes place in London from 10 November 2023 to 14 April 2024 and highlights works from Holbein’s time at court in the first half of the 16th century, when he rose to become the most important artist in Tudor England. This exhibition tells the story of Holbein’s career in England, from itinerant artist to king’s painter, showing how the vibrant international court culture he found on his arrival in London formed a fertile ground for his future success.

The exhibition examines Holbein’s artistic techniques and the lives of the men and women who commissioned his portraits, from members of the Tudor royal family to writers, churchmen and senior figures at court. Holbein’s skill as an artist was instrumental in cementing friendships, marking occasions such as marriage and as a tool in dynastic negotiations.

Hans Holbein the Younger, Anne Boleyn, 1532–6. (Credit: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023.)

At the heart of the exhibition are over 40 portrait drawings, which were probably acquired by Henry VIII at the artist’s death. These careful sketches, made in preparation for finished paintings, were taken during personal sittings, when Holbein sought to capture the essential features of his subject.

Their survival allows visitors to come face to face with some of the key figures of the Tudor court, from Anne Boleyn to Sir Thomas More. While these extraordinary drawings cannot be on permanent display for conservation reasons, the exhibition will give visitors the opportunity to study them up close and see for themselves the exquisite skill that captured the imagination of the Tudor court almost 500 years ago.

Hans Holbein the Younger, Sir Thomas More, 1527. (Credit: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023.)

Visitors will be introduced to paintings and decorative arts from the collections of Henry VII and Henry VIII, showing how the Tudor court was home to works from across Europe. Highlights include Guido Mazzoni’s terracotta bust of a young boy, once said to be Henry VIII as a child, and a portrait of Louis XII of France brought to England as part of the marriage negotiations between that monarch and Mary Tudor, Henry VIII’s sister.

The exhibition explores Holbein’s arrival in England in 1526, and his first works for Sir Thomas More’s learned humanist circle. It shows his broadening appeal in the 1530s as he became the most sought-after portraitist at the Tudor court. Towards the end of his career, Holbein’s work for Henry VIII included portraits of the King’s wives and children, as well as depictions of Henry himself. Among the works displayed will be Holbein’s drawings of Anne Boleyn and Jane Seymour, and a large portrait of Henry VIII and his family by an unknown artist who looks back to Holbein’s example, which had defined the image and faces of the Tudor court.

Nicholas Hilliard, Henry VIII, c.1600. (Credit: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023.)

Kate Heard, curator of Holbein at the Tudor Court, said: ‘Holbein’s brilliant success at the Tudor court was due to his mastery of his art. His exquisite drawings and paintings were made using the techniques he had learned as an apprentice, but his impressive skill with these traditional materials saw him celebrated by contemporaries, as he is still celebrated today. It is easy to understand why the men and women of Henry VIII’s court sought a portrait from Holbein as a mark of success, a record of a loved one or a gift between friends.”

Janet Redler, Managing Director of Janet Redler Travel, added: “This is yet another wonderful art exhibition taking place in London over the coming months. These truly influential works by Tudor artist Hans Holbein should not be missed on a cultural tour of the United Kingdom's capital city.”

Hans Holbein the Younger, Noli me Tangere, 1526–8. (Credit: Royal Collection Trust / © His Majesty King Charles III 2023.)

The Royal Collection is among the largest and most important art collections in the world, and one of the last great European royal collections to remain intact. It is spread among 15 royal residences and former residences across the UK and is cared for by the Royal Collection Trust, a department of the Royal Household and a registered charity.

If you or your group would like to enjoy a tailor-made tour of London this winter, including a visit to Holbein at the Tudor Court at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace, please do contact our friendly team today. Or perhaps you would like to visit the exhibition as part of a wider arts and culture tour of England? If so, we can help!