A Protestant Allegory, c1542-4 - a photo on Flickriver

            Girolamo de Treviso
Oil on panel

In 1534, the Act of Supremacy established Henry VIII, rather than the Pope, as the head of the English Church.  This painting refers to Henry's 'triumph' over the Pope who, with Hypocrisy and Avarice, is being stoned by the Four Evangelists, authors of the Gospels.  The candle associated with the Pope in the foreground has been extinguished by a cooking pan, but that over the city of Jerusalem in the distance shines brightly.  The message is that the Gospels, rather than the Papacy, provide the light of true religion. 
Although Henry took political control of the English Church, he never adopted the reforming theology that was arriving from continental Europe, where Martin Luther and others were challenging the central tenets of the Catholic Church.  This painting was in Henry's collection and is likely to have been commissioned by a reforming courtier as a flattering gift for the king. 
Girolamo da Traviso was an Italian engineer and artist, who arrived in England in 1538.  He was paid an annual salary of £100 by Henry VIII.  Girolamo died in Henry's service at the siege of Boulogne in 1544.*

From the exhibition


Holbein at the Tudor Court 
(November 2023 – April 2024)

Hans Holbein was one of the most talented artists of the 16th century.  From his arrival in England in search of work he rose to royal favour, chosen to paint the portraits of Henry VIII, his family and leading figures, among them Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More. By his death, Holbein’s work was as admired by his contemporaries as it is today. His portraits inspired the next generation of artists in their depictions of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
This exhibition showcases one of the most important surviving collections of his work, and includes drawings, paintings, miniatures and book illustrations. Celebrating Holbein’s artistic skill, it explores the career of the artist and the lives of those who commissioned portraits from him, bringing us face-to-face with some of the most famous people of 16th-century England.
Hans Holbein (1497/8-1543) travelled to England from the Swiss city of Basel in 1526.  He was seeking work at the English court, where Henry VIII employed artists from across Europe to celebrate the power and glory of the Tudor dynasty. 
Over the next 17 years, Holbein would become one of the most successful artists working in England.  His clients included senior courtiers, leading nobles and members of the Tudor royal family. 
Holbein's success in England was due to his skill at portraiture.  He came from a family of artists from Augsburg in Germany and learned to draw and paint at an early age.  Contemporaries praised him as an 'incomparable painter' and a 'wonderful artist'.  His portrait paintings and miniatures depicted sitters who, as the inscription on one painting proclaimed, only needed a voice to appear alive. 
Holbein's portraits started with drawings of his sitters, taken from the life.  Although made as working studies, these drawings are beautiful works of art in their own right.  Their detail reveals much about Holbein's working practice as he developed and refined his composition, a process which continued as he began to paint.
[*King's Gallery]

Unless otherwise stated, the item is by Holbein

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Taken on: December 30, 2023

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A Protestant Allegory

Girolamo de Treviso

Oil

panel

Act of Supremacy

Pope

English Church. This painting

Hypocrisy

Avarice

Four Evangelists

Gospels

Martin Luther

Catholic Church

Girolamo da Traviso

Italian engineer

siege of Boulogne « less

Sets appears in: • The Queen's Gallery • City of Westminster more » • Artworks • Galleries & Museums « less

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