SurgiCat | Details | King Henry VIII with the Barber Surgeons

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Actions Displays	King Henry VIII with the Barber Surgeons Remove from selection Add to selection Reproduction Object numberRCSSC/P 106 CollectionSpecial collections CategoryVisual works Object nameOil paintings, Portraits TitleKing Henry VIII with the Barber Surgeons DescriptionPortrait of King Henry with the Barber Surgeons, from the studio of Hans Holbein the younger, inscribed, 1541. A group portrait, with a seated King Henry VIII the principal figure to left of the centre of the painting, holding an upright unsheathed sword in his right hand and a sheet of parchment in this right hand. To the King's right are two kneeling men, dressed in dark robes and caps; on his left a larger group of seven men kneeling in the foreground and, above and behind them at the far right of the canvas, the faces of a second group. The first figure in the group to the King's left is receiving the parchment from the King's hand. In the background above this group is a leaded window, through which the rooftops of the city of London and the spire of the old St Paul's Cathedral are visible. This painting is similar, but not identical, to the painting by Holbein showing Henry VIII presenting the charter to the newly-formed Company of Barber Surgeons in 1540. This was commissioned from Holbein by the Barber-Surgeons Company and still hangs in the hall of the Worshipful Company of Barbers in Monkwell Square in London. The version owned by the College is actually an overpainted preparatory drawing or cartoon for the Barbers' Company's painting. This was confirmed by radiography in the 1960s, which revealed that under the paint of the College version are the pricked holes used to transfer the outline of the preparatory drawings to the wooden panel upon which the final painting was to be executed. The figures on the King's right are identified in the Barbers' Company painting as John Chambers and William Butts, two of the King's physicians. Those on King's left are Thomas Vicary, the first Master of the Barber-Surgeons' Company; Sir John Aylef, Master of the Barbers' Company in 1538; Nicholas Simpson or Symson, Master in 1537; Edmund Harman; John Monford; John Penn and Nicholas Alcock. The figures in the second row on the King's left are different to those in the Barbers' Company painting, and are probably later additions. Copies of the radiographs made during the 1960s, together with extensive research notes by Professor Bert Cohen for his publications on the painting, are preserved in the College Archives. Production date 1541 Artist‎ Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543, painter Sitter/subject Henry, VIII, 1491-1547, King of England and Ireland Associated institution Company of Surgeons, London, 1745-1800 Sitter/subject Vicary, Thomas, d 1561, surgeon Sitter/subject Chambre, John, 1470-1549, physician Sitter/subject Butts, Sir William, d.1545, physician Sitter/subject Ayliffe, Sir John, c.1490-1556, surgeon Sitter/subject Simpson, Nicholas, fl.1530-1541, surgeon Sitter/subject Harman, Edmund, fl.1530-1541, Barber to King Henry VIII Sitter/subject Monforde, James, fl.1540-1543, surgeon to King Henry VIII Sitter/subject Penn, John, fl.1527-d.1558, barber to King Henry VIII Sitter/subject Alcocke, Nicholas, fl.1541-d.1550, Surgeon to King Edward VI purchased Desenfans, Noel Joseph, 1745-1807, Picture dealer (1786) Related objectsRCSSC/P 107 Physical Location LocationOn public display in RCS England's London headquarters Physical Information Physical descriptionOil overpainted on paper, laid on to canvas, 160cm by 280cm, framed and glazed (frame c.1967). Framed dimensions 180cm by 295cm. Framed weight is 145kg. Bibliography SourceCohen 1982 NotesReview of the overpainted detail portraits of individuals in the paintings at the Company of Barbers and the RCS. SourceCohen 1967 NotesHistory of the painting together with its radiographic examination in the 1960s.

Reproduction

Object numberRCSSC/P 106

TitleKing Henry VIII with the Barber Surgeons

DescriptionPortrait of King Henry with the Barber Surgeons, from the studio of Hans Holbein the younger, inscribed, 1541. A group portrait, with a seated King Henry VIII the principal figure to left of the centre of the painting, holding an upright unsheathed sword in his right hand and a sheet of parchment in this right hand. To the King's right are two kneeling men, dressed in dark robes and caps; on his left a larger group of seven men kneeling in the foreground and, above and behind them at the far right of the canvas, the faces of a second group. The first figure in the group to the King's left is receiving the parchment from the King's hand. In the background above this group is a leaded window, through which the rooftops of the city of London and the spire of the old St Paul's Cathedral are visible. This painting is similar, but not identical, to the painting by Holbein showing Henry VIII presenting the charter to the newly-formed Company of Barber Surgeons in 1540. This was commissioned from Holbein by the Barber-Surgeons Company and still hangs in the hall of the Worshipful Company of Barbers in Monkwell Square in London. The version owned by the College is actually an overpainted preparatory drawing or cartoon for the Barbers' Company's painting. This was confirmed by radiography in the 1960s, which revealed that under the paint of the College version are the pricked holes used to transfer the outline of the preparatory drawings to the wooden panel upon which the final painting was to be executed. The figures on the King's right are identified in the Barbers' Company painting as John Chambers and William Butts, two of the King's physicians. Those on King's left are Thomas Vicary, the first Master of the Barber-Surgeons' Company; Sir John Aylef, Master of the Barbers' Company in 1538; Nicholas Simpson or Symson, Master in 1537; Edmund Harman; John Monford; John Penn and Nicholas Alcock. The figures in the second row on the King's left are different to those in the Barbers' Company painting, and are probably later additions. Copies of the radiographs made during the 1960s, together with extensive research notes by Professor Bert Cohen for his publications on the painting, are preserved in the College Archives.

Production date 1541

Artist‎

Holbein, Hans, 1497-1543, painter

Sitter/subject

Henry, VIII, 1491-1547, King of England and Ireland

Associated institution

Company of Surgeons, London, 1745-1800

Sitter/subject

Vicary, Thomas, d 1561, surgeon

Sitter/subject

Chambre, John, 1470-1549, physician

Sitter/subject

Butts, Sir William, d.1545, physician

Sitter/subject

Ayliffe, Sir John, c.1490-1556, surgeon

Sitter/subject

Simpson, Nicholas, fl.1530-1541, surgeon

Sitter/subject

Harman, Edmund, fl.1530-1541, Barber to King Henry VIII

Sitter/subject

Monforde, James, fl.1540-1543, surgeon to King Henry VIII

Sitter/subject

Penn, John, fl.1527-d.1558, barber to King Henry VIII

Sitter/subject

Alcocke, Nicholas, fl.1541-d.1550, Surgeon to King Edward VI

purchased

Desenfans, Noel Joseph, 1745-1807, Picture dealer (1786)

Related objectsRCSSC/P 107

Physical Location

LocationOn public display in RCS England's London headquarters

Physical Information

Physical descriptionOil overpainted on paper, laid on to canvas, 160cm by 280cm, framed and glazed (frame c.1967). Framed dimensions 180cm by 295cm. Framed weight is 145kg.

Bibliography

SourceCohen 1982

NotesReview of the overpainted detail portraits of individuals in the paintings at the Company of Barbers and the RCS.

SourceCohen 1967

NotesHistory of the painting together with its radiographic examination in the 1960s.

King Henry VIII with the Barber Surgeons

Physical Location

Physical Information

Bibliography

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