Who painted The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII?

The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1534.

Where can I see The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII?

The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII is held by Kunsthistorisches Museum.

What movement is The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII?

The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Artwork

The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII

Hans Holbein the Younger , 1534

The wife of a servant of King Henry VIII is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Holbein the Younger. It dates from 1534 and is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum.

About this work

This is a round portrait of a woman with pale skin and light hair, dressed in a simple white cap and collar.

This is a round portrait of a woman with pale skin and light hair, dressed in a simple white cap and collar. Her face is calm, with a slight smile. The background is a plain dark green, and the edges of the painting are slightly faded.

The text on the frame says she was 28 years old in 1534. Her outfit looks practical, not fancy, which might hint at her everyday life.

Next, look up Hans Holbein the Younger to see how his other portraits compare.

Subject & Meaning

A portrait shows a woman identified as the wife of a servant in the household of King Henry VIII, rendered in oil paint on lime panel in 1534. The depiction emphasizes domestic virtue and courtly proximity, reflecting the social standing of her husband within the royal entourage and underscoring the hierarchical intimacy of Tudor portraiture.

The work belongs to the portrait genre and was created by Hans Holbein the Younger for the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Innsbruck, where it remains part of the collection today.

Technique & Style

The work is executed in oil paint on a lime panel, a support characteristic of Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait practice of the 1530s. The medium is classified as a painting, and the genre is portraiture. The combination of oil paint with a lime-wood support is documented in the catalogue record for the work.

Stylistically, the piece sits within Holbein's mature portrait idiom of 1534, produced while he was active at the court of Henry VIII. No further details about handling, condition, or specific formal qualities are recorded in the available sources.

History & Provenance

The painting was created by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1534, executed in oil paint on a lime panel as a portrait of a woman identified as the wife of a servant of King Henry VIII. Its inception is dated to 1534.

The work is held in the collection of the Kunsthistorisches Museum at Schloss Ambras Innsbruck (Ambras Castle), where it is located.

Overview

This portrait, painted in oil on a round panel, is the work of Hans Holbein the Younger, a prominent artist of the Northern Renaissance. Created in 1534, it is a characteristic example of his skill in portraiture.