Portrait of Henry VIII

Hans Holbein the Younger

c. 1537 · Oil on oak panel · Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid

Size2:3 ratio

Frame

$59Unframed print · made to order

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Complete the setHangs well with these two

This print

Portrait of Henry VIII

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan

3 × $59 at 16 × 24 in, unframed = $177 → $159.30 as a set · 10% included · free shipping

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Giclée-printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper

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About this work

Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543)
Year: c. 1537
Medium: Oil on oak panel
Original size: 28 × 20 cm
Collection: Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Movement: Northern Renaissance

Henry VIII, in his mid-forties, faces the viewer almost head-on against a deep blue ground, his broad shoulders filling the small panel; he wears a black cap with a white plume and jewels, a gold collar, and a silver doublet slashed and studded with gems under a fur-lined coat, with heavy rings on his fingers. Holbein, who entered the king's service in the mid-1530s, painted it in about 1537, the period of his lost Whitehall Palace mural of the Tudor dynasty, which fixed the king's image for posterity. This small portrait, only 28 by 20 centimetres, is generally regarded as the only painted portrait of Henry by Holbein's own hand to survive. As the museum notes, the frontal pose, the sense of distance and the placing of the hands convey the king's power as head of both state and church. It may have been in Henry's own collection but appears in no royal inventory. It belonged to the Earls of Sutherland and then Spencer, and in 1934 it was acquired for the Thyssen collection. It hangs in the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid.

This print reproduces the whole work, uncropped, from a high-resolution scan of the original. The original is in the public domain.

Where it works

A broad, frontal king in silver, gold and black fur against vivid blue, small and commanding, for a study, library or hallway at 16×24 in black. A deep blue, charcoal or warm stone wall; it pairs with Charles I at the Hunt.

Style, size & framing detail

Style: Northern Renaissance painting
Era: 16th century (c. 1537)
Orientation: Portrait
Mood: intimate
Rooms: hallway or entryway, study or library, living room, dining room
Good gift for: housewarming, art lovers

Size. We'd hang this one at 16×24. Prints at 12×18, 16×24 in — 12×18 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 16×24 above a desk, console or in a hallway.

Framing. The gallery ground is part of the print, so frame it without a mat — black suits the deep tones of this period; natural wood lightens it.

Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).

Details & materials

• Restored in-house from the original painting — cleaned and colour-trued at museum resolution • Heavyweight matte fine-art paper, giclée printed at 300 DPI • Sizes: 12×18, 16×24 in; every size also available framed • Framed option: wood frame in black or natural wood, 12 mm wide and 22 mm deep, with a plexiglass front and no mat; the print is mounted inside and the frame's outside measures the listed size • Made to order; colours may vary slightly from screen

Shipping & returns

Printed after you order at the facility nearest you, then shipped. Standard delivery is free and takes 4–9 business days from order to door in the US, UK and EU (up to 10 elsewhere); Express takes 4–6 business days. Because each print is made to order we don't take change-of-mind returns, but if it arrives damaged or flawed we'll reprint or refund it — no return needed. Full policy →

Is this the whole painting, or a crop?

The whole work, uncropped. The image fills the print at the painting's own proportions; nothing is trimmed to fit a frame.

Is Portrait of Henry VIII in the public domain?

Yes. Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543) died more than 70 years ago and the work was published before 1929, so the painting itself is public domain. This print is a reproduction made from a high-resolution scan of the original, which is held by Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza.

What is it printed on?

Heavyweight matte fine-art paper with pigment inks, made to order in 12×18 and 16×24 inches; every size is also offered framed in black or natural wood, with plexiglass and no mat. Colours are matched to the scan, not brightened.

When was Portrait of Henry VIII painted, and in what medium?

Portrait of Henry VIII dates from c. 1537 and was made in oil on oak panel; the original measures 28 × 20 cm.

What size works above a sofa or bed?

Across a three-seat sofa or a queen bed, 16×24 is the size that reads as one statement piece; 12×18 suits a narrower wall or a pair. For Portrait of Henry VIII we'd choose 16×24.

About this design

Portrait of Henry VIII (Hans Holbein the Younger) — Portrait of Henry VIII · Hans Holbein the Younger · c. 1537. This is a fine-art reproduction of a public-domain masterwork, shown whole and uncropped on a gallery ground, printed to order on heavyweight matte fine-art paper. Every size is offered unframed or framed in black or natural wood. Part of the Madten Fine Art Collection. — — — Printed to order and shipped by our production partner, Gelato.

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The Madten promise

Gallery-grade archival giclée. Rich pigment inks on heavyweight fine-art paper (or gallery-wrapped canvas) — built to last, not a poster-shop print.

Arrives perfect or we reprint it — free. Every piece is made to order; if it shows up damaged or flawed we remake it, no return needed.

Free worldwide shipping. Made & shipped from the facility nearest you — most orders arrive in 4–9 business days.

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