Holbein the Younger, Christina of Denmark
About this video
This video explains Holbein's 1538 portrait of Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, commissioned by Henry VIII, who was looking for a new wife after Jane Seymour's death. Holbein drew her in Brussels during a three-hour sitting and painted the portrait in London. The speakers explain her mourning dress and analyse the elegant composition, from her silhouette and shadow to the features that 'come together' down the centre.
You'll be able to
- explain why Henry VIII commissioned this portrait in a world before photography.
- explain how the portrait was made and why Christina wears mourning dress.
- analyse how line and composition make the portrait elegant.
Key words
- commission
- To order and pay for a work of art to be made.
- court painter
- An artist employed by a ruler to make paintings for the court.
- silhouette
- The outline or shape of a figure.
- mourning dress
- Black clothing worn to show grief after someone has died.
- alliance
- A partnership between families or countries for shared benefit.
Transcript
(piano music) Male: Historically paintings were often made for specific purposes in the world.
Female: Very specific. In this case we're looking at Holbein's Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan from 1538. This was commissioned by King Henry VIII.
Male: Think about Henry's world for a moment. A world long before photography. When images were still fairly rare. He wanted to know what this young woman looked like. She lived in Brussels and he lived London. He didn't want to go.
Female: He wanted to know what she looked like, because he was considering marring her. His third wife had just died, Jane Seymour. He was on a lookout for a new wife among the nobility of Europe.
Male: She would have been an especially catch. She was the niece of the Holy Roman Emperor. That would have benefited him by creating of alliance.
Female: That's right, of course, all marriages for people of that status in society had political purposes.
Male: Nevertheless, Henry still wanted to know what she looked like. He sent his court painter Holbein to Brussels to paint her. Apparently, she sat for him three hours.
Female: During that time he did drawings.
Male: The painting was made back in London when he returned.
Female: The story is he came with the drawings and showed them to the king, and the king thought she looked beautiful, and apparently kissed the drawings.
Male: Importantly, he kept the painting even though the marriage was never actually arranged.
Female: The marriage fell through for political reasons.
Male: She was only 16 and, interestingly, she wears the gown of a woman in mourning. In fact, she had already been married. She was married at age 11, although she never lived with her husband. He was the duke of Milan.
Female: That accounts for her black dress, and the spareness of the image. She stands in front of this turquoises-green background, and she cast a shadow behind her.
Male: She does cut a very elegant silhouette.
Female: She's elongated, but she's a little bit off center just a little bit to the left of the image. You can see more of her flowing, black, mourning dress and robe just to the right on the floor below her.
Male: But it doesn't feel off center because of the shadow line on the right. It's off perhaps she's standing. Henry may have wanted to know tall she was. The length of her body is emphasized by linear quality especially the fur lining of her coat.
Female: The emphasis and contour and line around her face. The line around her eyebrows and down to her nose. The contours of her lips.
Male: I'm, actually, really taken by the hands, which are beautiful and elegant. The simplification of the elegance of those hands perhaps because of the gloves that she wears, and the sleeve that she wears with that very fine ruffle.
Female: When her eye moves down we have her mouth pursed together. Then we move down her body and we see the bow that's tied. Then below that her hands which come together. Her lips which come together. The bow that comes together, and then her hands and gloves that come together down the center of the painting.
Male: It is really beautiful and elegant and full of promise. It seems absolutely perfect for a representation of prepares of a future bride. (piano music)
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