John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, 1550-1600?
Unidentified artist
Black and coloured chalks with wash and ink on pink prepared paper
This drawing has traditionally been thought to be by Holbein, but its draughtmanship is less assured. It is more likely to be by a later artist familiar with Holbein's technique of using chalk, ink and wash on pink prepared paper.
John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, was imprisoned in March 1533 due to his opposition to Henry VIII's move to divorce Katherine of Aragon and was executed in 1535. After his death, Fisher was revered as a martyr and demand for his portrait grew. This drawing was probably made in response to that interest, presenting an idealised image of the bishop rather than his true likeness.*
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
Taken in King's Gallery
