William Sommers, King Henry VIII's Jester
1608
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1608
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This print shows a man dressed in a long, fancy robe with an "H" on the chest. He wears a tall, feathered hat and holds a horn in one hand. Around him, tiny scenes show people playing games and a town in the background. The text at the top calls him "King Henry VIII’s Jester," and the print was made in 1798—but it copies an older drawing. The small scenes around him look like a mix of work and play from that time. Look up Renaissance next to see how this style fits into art history.
