Portrait miniature of Anne of Cleves (1515-1557)

This portrait, painted in 1539, reflects the conventions of sixteenth-century portraiture during the later Renaissance period. Hans Holbein the Younger, the greatest portrait painter of the Northern Renaissance and court painter to Henry VIII, brings luminous color to the depiction of the sitter. Portrait miniatures by Holbein were collected by royalty and nobles across Europe, their small scale belying the extraordinary technical mastery they contained.

Oil on canvas, the portrait demonstrates Hans Holbein the Younger's command of meticulous realism and psychological penetration. 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.