The Paintings - Anne of Cleves

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Anne of Cleves, c1539 by Hans Holbein the Younger.

It was on the basis of this portrait that Henry VIII chose her as his wife.
Holbein was clearly capable of much better work, and so the question must be - why did he produce such a lifeless portrait?
Clearly, he was a court painter but he was also a diplomat. He had very little time to produce the portrait and had to show his prepatory sketches and the finished work to the duke of Cleves and his courtiers. If he felt a lifelike portrait of Anne would be unflattering, he would have felt pressure to change it - hence, the anonymous portrait he did produce. But he was also forced to consider his role as court painter to Henry VIII.
Holbein knew that a misleading or false portrait would anger the English king. Forced into a diplomatic corner, the artist tactfully chose to create an unassuming portrait of a woman neither beautiful nor ugly, respectfully attired and with a modest gaze. He hoped to offend no one - but, of course, Henry VIII felt terribly deceived and Holbein would receive no more important commissions from the king.


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