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Henry VIII

Cornelius Matsys

1548

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Portrait

Dominant colour

Henry VIII is a 1548 ink by Cornelius Matsys, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Cornelius Matsys
When & what style?: 1548 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This portrait shows a man with a round face and a prominent nose, wearing a fur-trimmed coat and a hat adorned with jewels. He has a thick beard and is holding his hands together in front of him. In the top-left corner, a coat of arms is visible, featuring a fleur-de-lis and other symbols. The background is a simple, lined pattern. The level of detail in this engraving is impressive, with intricate cross-hatching used to create texture and depth. To learn more about the technique used to create this image, look up "engraving".