Framed Owners:
ponycargirl suomy stephgm67 Reamar42 reedy LadyNym GBfan Ceduh rossian etymonlego Kalibre trident kyleisalive looney_tunes Kankurette wellenbrecher
Anne of Cleves
By Hans Holbein the Younger
Author Award for October 2025Hans Holbein the Younger painted "Portrait of Anne of Cleves" at the request of King Henry VIII, who was seeking a fourth wife. Henry specifically instructed Holbein to be as accurate as possible in his rendering of Anne's appearance, as the marriage would be based on this visual impression. The resulting portrait showed a serene and elegant woman, dressed in richly detailed clothing that emphasized her royal bearing. Based on the painting, Henry agreed to the marriage, but upon meeting Anne in person, he was famously underwhelmed.
Henry's disappointment became more than a personal grievance; he quickly sought to annul the marriage, which had lasted only six months. Much of the blame for the mismatch fell on Thomas Cromwell, Henry's chief minister and advocate for the political alliance with the German duchy of Cleves. The fallout contributed to Cromwell's eventual execution. Despite the king's reaction, Holbein's portrait is not considered deceptive by modern scholars; rather, it likely flattered Anne only slightly, as was customary in noble portraiture.
Year: 1539
Medium: Oil and vellum on canvas
Location: Louvre Museum
Ownership Stats
Players with unframed copies: 14
Players with framed copies: 16