Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 8

Two Limoges Enamel Paintings Including Portrait of Henry VIII

About the Item

These exquisite portrait plaques were made in the French town of Limoges, which is renowned for the fine quality of its enamel wares. The panels have been painted with oval, half-length portraits of British Tudor monarchs, set within elaborate giltwood frames. The portrait of Henry VIII has been painted after a famous 16th century portrait of the king by Hans Holbein the Younger. Holbein was a German painter, draftsman and designer, who worked in in the English court when Henry VIII was king. He was widely celebrated for the precision of his drawing and striking veracity of his portraits. In this work, Henry VIII wears a light blue doublet, with a small white ruff, a fur-lined coat, two heavy gold necklaces and a floppy black hat with a white plume. Accompanying this portrait is a similarly formatted and framed plaque, depicting a queen, and possibly one of the six wives of Henry VIII. The woman wears a luxurious Tudor style purple gown, which is embroidered with gold fleur-de-lis, and upon which rests a large, latticed gold necklace, with a green jewel at the centre. The woman wears a fine crown on her head, and large lace ruff around her neck. She holds her right hand up to her face, drawing attention to blue ribbon tied around her wrist and a ring on the fourth finger of her right hand, possibly a love token, or a betrothal, or wedding ring, although one would expect this to be placed on the woman’s left hand. It is possible the queen depicted is Jane Seymour, who is shown in portraits to have similar features, including blonde hair and blue eyes. Indeed, Holbein’s portrait of Henry VIII, which has been faithfully copied here, was painted in 1536-7 to commemorate the king’s marriage to Jane Seymour. The portrait was one of several within a larger mural scheme, which also depicted Henry VIII’s parents, Henry VII and Elizabeth of York, and, importantly, Jane Seymour. The back of the portrait of the king is signed, ‘Henry VIII / BORN AT GREENWICH / JUNE 28 1491 / DIED / JAN 28 / KING OF ENGLAND’, while the inscription to the second work is only partially legible, reading '_ du Pembroke / Van Dyke’. This is likely a later, incorrect attempt to identify the sitter and artist, since Anthony van Dyck was not active in the Tudor period, and did not work in this style.
  • Similar to:
    Hans Holbein (Painter)
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 11.42 in (29 cm)Width: 8.67 in (22 cm)Depth: 7.88 in (20 cm)
  • Sold As:
    Set of 2
  • Style:
    Renaissance Revival (In the Style Of)
  • Materials and Techniques:
  • Place of Origin:
  • Period:
  • Date of Manufacture:
    19th Century
  • Condition:
  • Seller Location:
    London, GB
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: 157411stDibs: LU956312543801

More From This Seller

View All
Two 19th Century Limoges Enamel Portrait Plaques
Located in London, GB
These elegant enamel plaques was painted in Limoges, a town in the south-west of France. While Limoges was highly regarded for its painted enamel wares in the 15th Century, in the following periods there was a decline in production. In the mid-19th Century, however, items like this pair began to be created, reviving the techniques of enamel painting that were perfected in the medieval period. The plaques depict two women, both with wavy blonde shoulder-length hair, and similar facial features. The women may be sisters, possibly even twins. One woman wears a pale pink dress...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Rococo Paintings

Materials

Enamel

Antique Limoges Enamel Portrait of Woman and Lap Dog
Located in London, GB
The beautiful enamel plaque was crafted in Limoges, a town in northern France. Limoges has long been associated with the production of high quality enamel wares. While to begin with, in the 12th Century, the town was famous for its applied enamel pieces, religious icons, for example, which were crafted in metal with champlevé enamel ornament, Limoges later, in the 15th century, began to paint onto enamel, creating plaques, plates and ewers, which were both religious and secular in character. These local techniques were revived in the mid-19th century, when items like this enamel portrait painting were produced. This enamel portrait is a half-length depiction of a young woman. While her body is faced slightly to the side, she turns her head to look out directly at the viewer. The woman wears a fine, light pink gown...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Rococo Decorative Art

Materials

Enamel

'Duchesse de Richmond' French Limoges Enamel Portrait Plaque
Located in London, GB
'Duchesse de Richmond' French Limoges enamel portrait plaque French 19th century Height 22cm, width 16cm, depth 2cm This exquisite Limoges enamel plaque is based on a painting of the Duchess of Richmond by the 17th century French artist, Henri Gascar...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Decorative Art

Materials

Bronze, Enamel, Ormolu

19th Century Theatre Themed Limoges Enamel Painting
Located in London, GB
This charming enamel painting shows a gentleman, centrally positioned, being led by two women, one on each arm. The woman on his left has a troubled expression, her hair is grey, and she wears a dark red shawl and green costume, with a knife stored under her belt. She points up to the sky with her left hand. By comparison, the woman on the gentleman’s right looks cheerful, she has youthful blond hair, and is clad in a pink and white dress...
Category

Antique 19th Century French George II Paintings

Materials

Enamel

19th Century French Enamel Plaque Depicting 'The Finding of Moses'
Located in London, GB
This fine enamel plaque is notable both for its large size and the exquisite contrast produced between the rich, blue enamel backdrop against the grey foreground, created using the g...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century French Paintings

Materials

Enamel

19th Century French Limoges Enamel Plaque in Gilt Bronze Frame
By Limoges
Located in London, GB
This beautiful Limoges enamel plaque depicts a knight in full armour. He is portrayed turning towards the viewer, as though he is about to unsheathe his sword. The knight stands...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Belle Époque Paintings

Materials

Enamel, Ormolu, Bronze

You May Also Like

Exquisite Limoges Enamel Portrait of a Floral Kokoshnik Beauty
By Limoges
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Exquisite Limoges Enamel Portrait of a Floral Kokoshnik Beauty France, Circa 1900s A exquisite French Limoges enamel portrait, circa the 1900s, capturing a mesmerizing portrait of a...
Category

Early 20th Century French Art Nouveau Models and Miniatures

Materials

Enamel

Large Antique Italian School Oil on Canvas Painting Apparition of Mary to James
Located in Lisse, NL
Large size antique Gothic Art painting 'The Apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint James'. We are by no means connoisseurs when it comes to antique paintings, but we have seen enough antique paintings to know when something is special, decorative and truly inspiring and interesting to look at. And the large size of this antique work of art, makes it impressive too. Also, because it must have taken one very skilled painter an awful lot of time (probably weeks, if not months) to hand-paint this famous religious scene. According to ancient local tradition, on January 2nd of the year AD 40, the Virgin Mary appeared to James on the bank of the Ebro River at Caesaraugusta, while he was preaching the Gospel in Iberia. Looking at the perfectly painted ancient landscape and the kneeling figure who is in awe of what he is witnessing (by the river bank) we believe this is in fact the apparition of Mary to James. Following that apparition, by the way, St. James returned to Judea, where he was beheaded by King Herod Agrippa the first (in the year AD 44). Judging from the skillfully painted individuals in the Renaissance Style and the striking and lively colors, we believe, this late 1800s painting is the work of a true artisan. This work of religious art on the back reads 'Sacerdote Salvatore Rosa, Dipinse 1889' which means Priest Salvatore Rosa, Painted 1889. This priest clearly had a god given talent and god bless him for having created this masterpiece. Apart from some minor imperfections this large and nostalgic painting is in very good condition and we believe it will look particularly great in a church, monastery or chapel. At the same time, a one of a kind antique like this will ofcourse also look great atop the stairwell of a mansion or in the entry hall of a French castle etc. We don't know the 'exact' value of this large size antique painting...
Category

Antique Late 19th Century Italian Renaissance Revival Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Wood, Paint

Empire Portrait Painting of Julie and Desiree Clary by Robert Lefevre
By Robert Jacques LeFevre
Located in Essex, MA
Period First Empire portrait of the Sisters Julie and Desiree Clary, Future Queens of Spain and Sweden by Robert Jacques Francois Lefevre (1755...
Category

Antique 19th Century French Neoclassical Paintings

Materials

Canvas

The History Of Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 1964
Located in North Hollywood, CA
The History Of Tom Jones By Henry Fielding New York: Random House, 1964. Slip Case. Lawrence Beall Smith. Copyright date is 1964, maroon and black cov...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Expressionist Books

Materials

Paper

Antique French Oil Portrait Painting on Wood of Catholic Pope Paul VI France
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Antique portrait painting of Pope Paul VI on wood. This beautiful piece depicts a small portrait of Pope Paul VI. This painting is one wood and unframed. Pop...
Category

Late 20th Century French French Provincial Paintings

Materials

Wood, Paint

Liberty of London King Henry the VIII Doll
By Liberty of London
Located in Redding, CT
Liberty of London "King Henry the VIII" historical doll . Hand-sewn by two sisters, Ada and Kathleen Peat, from their Brighton, England home for the Liberty of London Department Store. This historical doll has a needle sculpted face with hand painted facial features and mohair wig, mustache and beard. He is almost 11" tall with a very portly cloth body and black felt shoes. A wonderful authentic period costume of felt, cloth, jewels, beading and metallic trim. Unfortunately he is missing his cloth hands. He comes with a gray metal doll stand...
Category

Early 20th Century English Toys and Dolls

Materials

Metal

Recently Viewed

View All