Portrait Miniature of Katherine Howard

Portrait Miniature of Katherine Howard, painted around 1540 when the young Howard was Henry VIII's fifth queen, belongs to Holbein's production of portrait miniatures — small-scale likenesses made for intimate display, exchange as diplomatic gifts, or setting in lockets and pendants. Katherine Howard's brief queenship (1540-1541) and execution for alleged adultery make this miniature a document of a life abbreviated by Tudor political violence. Holbein's miniatures combine the formal conventions of court representation — the heraldic background colors, the jeweled costumes — with the psychological immediacy of a format that allowed close examination. The miniature's small scale and private intended use create a different relationship between painter and subject than the large formal court portraits.

Oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates Hans Holbein the Younger's command of meticulous realism and luminous color. The careful modeling of the face reveals close study of the sitter's physiognomy, while the treatment of costume and setting projects appropriate social standing.