Edward VI as a Child
probably 1538 · Oil on panel · National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
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This print
About this work
- Artist
- Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543)
- Year
- probably 1538
- Medium
- Oil on panel
- Original size
- 56.8 × 44 cm
- Collection
- National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
- Movement
- Northern Renaissance
Henry VIII's only son, Prince Edward, aged about one, stands behind a green ledge in a red and gold dress, a red hat with a white plume over his gold cap; he raises his right hand as if in blessing and holds a gold rattle in the left, posed with a dignity beyond his age. Below runs a Latin poem by the courtier Richard Morison urging the little one to emulate his father and be heir of his virtue, for the world holds nothing greater, and adding that if he surpasses him, he will outstrip all kings the world has known. Holbein painted the panel, probably in 1538, and presented it to Henry VIII as a New Year's gift on 1 January 1539. Edward, born in October 1537 to Jane Seymour, became king in 1547 and died at fifteen. By 1639 the portrait belonged to Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel, later to the kings of Hanover; Andrew W. Mellon bought it in 1925, and it is in the National Gallery of Art in Washington.
This full-bleed edition prints the work edge to edge from a high-resolution scan of the original, very slightly cropped (a few percent at most) to fit the sheet. The gallery edition shows the whole work, uncropped. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
A toddler prince in red and gold with a feathered hat above a Latin verse panel, warm and formal, for a hallway, library or child's bedroom at 18×24 in natural wood. A sage, warm grey or deep green wall; it pairs with Little Girl in a Blue Armchair.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Northern Renaissance painting
- Era
- 16th century (probably 1538)
- Orientation
- Portrait
- Mood
- intimate
- Rooms
- bedroom, hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, dining room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 18×24. Prints at 12×16, 18×24, 24×32 in — 12×16 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 18×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway; 24×32 as the statement piece above a sofa or bed.
Framing. Printed edge to edge: a slim black or natural wood frame right to the image, or let the canvas wrap do the framing.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is Edward VI as a Child in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Edward VI as a Child painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
A fine-art print
The same artwork as a clean fine-art print — the image shown large with a minimal caption.
