Emblems of Monarchy

Edward IV, Richard III, Henry VII and Henry VIII: four kings whose reigns spanned a pivotal period in English history, from the Wars of the Roses to the Reformation. It is well recognized that, in this era of personal monarchy, kings used visual means, chiefly heraldry and pageantry, to represent themselves in the eyes of their subjects. This book focuses on the use of portraits as ‘emblems’ designed to function in a similar way in the elite circles of court and government. Frederick Hepburn explores the distinctive iconography of the portrait images that were devised to represent each of these four kings. In so doing he adds a fascinating new dimension to the study of these monarchs, and in particular sheds unexpected light on the character of the first of the Tudors, Henry VII. Here too is in-depth consideration of the portraits of other members of the early Tudor royal family — Prince Arthur and his sisters the princesses Margaret and Mary, Lady Margaret Beaufort and Katherine of Aragon. The author also looks at the occurrence of royal portraits in media other than painting in order to present as complete a picture as possible of the role played by such images during this period of transition from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

Preface

Part 1: Burgundian dukes, Yorkist kings and the courtly context
The painted portrait in the Burgundian Netherlands
Burgundian influence on English court culture under Edward IV
Paired images of Edward IV and Richard III
Richard III: the Royal Collection portrait
Series of images of English kings
The viewing audience for portraits
Painted portraits of earlier rulers: Henry V, Charlemagne, Arthur, Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great

Part 2: Henry VII
An imperial ruler: the new monarch as heir of the ancient British kings
Henry VII and Elizabeth of York: the union of the red rose and the white
Variant forms: Elizabeth of York; pearls and the gillyflower; the artist Meynnart Wewyck
Variant forms: Henry VII; the apple/orange and the pomander
Henry alone: his portrait on the coinage, plans for his tomb, and votive figures in silver and gold
Henry alone: marriage negotiations and a revised portrait image
“There’s such divinity doth hedge a king”: further examples of Henry’s revised image
Henry and Elizabeth in sculpture: Pietro Torrigiani and the royal tomb
The limits of likeness: the royal family in other media
Lady Margaret Beaufort: the king’s mother at prayer; Wewyck and Torrigiani
Prince Arthur
Princesses Margaret and Mary Rose

Part 3: Henry VIII
From prince to king: paired images of the young Henry and his father
A European ruler: Henry in rivalry with Francis I of France, and as a loyal son of the Catholic Church
Henry in other media: with and without a beard
Head of church and state: workshop portraits of Henry for popular consumption, and two masterpieces by Hans Holbein

Appendix 1: Works misidentified as portraying members of the royal family
Appendix 2: Portraits of Anne Boleyn

Bibliography