Hans Holbein the Younger
Erasmus Writing
From $80
This painting is bright blue, red velvet and gold, and a cheap copy turns it flat and muddy. Our Holbein Anne of Cleves print is made from the museum’s own photograph, unretouched, so the gold and red stay rich.
Canvas, framed or paper
Stretched canvas. Printed on cotton canvas and stretched taut over a frame. The edges are mirror-wrapped, so the picture continues around the sides and none of it is lost to the fold.
Framed canvas. The same canvas, set in a black, white, natural wood or dark wood frame 0.83 in deep. The frame gives the work a finished edge and a little more presence on the wall.
Framed print. Printed on fine art matte paper and framed in solid pine, behind shatterproof plexiglass, in black, white, natural wood or dark wood. It arrives ready to hang. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame.
Fine art print. Printed on 310gsm fine art matte paper, for framing your own way. It travels rolled and protected. From 18x24 inch.
Sizes
12x16 inch, 18x24 inch, 30x40 inch. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame, so the visible painting is a little smaller.
On your wall
Its tall shape suits a study, a hallway or a living room wall. The blues, reds and golds look rich with cream, slate and walnut, and a gold or black frame suits it.
About the painting
Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein the Younger
The portraitist of Tudor England
Hans Holbein the Younger, born in Augsburg and trained in Basel, became painter to Henry VIII. His portraits are so precise you feel you could speak to the sitter.
Sent to choose a bride
In August 1539 Henry VIII sent Holbein to Germany to portray Anne of Cleves. On the strength of the portrait, he agreed to marry her.
To a happy end
Her cap reads “a bon fine”, to a happy end. The marriage lasted six months. The portrait went to the Louvre through Louis XIV in 1671.
Read the story
A young woman faces us directly, against a bright blue background. She wears a gown of red velvet edged with gold, a jewelled cap, and five rings on her folded hands. Her eyes look down, modest and quiet.
This is Anne of Cleves, a German princess. And this painting changed her life.
In 1539 King Henry VIII was looking for a fourth wife. He sent his painter, Hans Holbein, to Germany to paint possible brides. In August Holbein reached the court of Cleves and drew Anne and her sister within two weeks.
Henry saw the portrait, and in October he signed the marriage contract.
On her cap are three embroidered words in French: a bon fine. To a happy end.
It was not. When Henry first met Anne, on New Year's Day 1540, he is said to have been disappointed. The marriage was annulled after six months. Some blamed Holbein for flattering her, but there is no real evidence he did.
The portrait later passed to King Louis XIV of France, and it is now in the Louvre.
Anne of Cleves. Hans Holbein the Younger, 1539.
How each piece is brought to life
Faithful to the original, and made to be felt on your wall.
Graded against the original
We compare every work with the original as we grade it, keeping the artist’s colours true while bringing back their depth and glow. Every mark stays the artist’s own.
Printed for you
Printed to order on cotton canvas or fine art paper, then framed if you chose a frame, in 1 to 3 business days.
On your wall
It arrives 5 to 12 business days later, tracked and free anywhere in the US. Framed pieces come ready to hang.
Questions
Is this the original painting?
No. The original hangs in a museum. What you receive is a fine art reproduction, remastered from the original and printed for you, with every mark where the artist left it.
Will the colour look flat?
This is where most reproductions disappoint, and it is where we spend the most time. Each work is graded side by side with the original: faithful to the artist’s colours, with the depth and warmth brought back, so it moves you on the wall the way it was meant to. Canvas reads a touch softer than a backlit screen, and every screen shows colour a little differently.
Will the edges be cropped?
Each size is a standard frame size, so we fit the painting by trimming a little from its edges. We never stretch or squash it, and we check every size by eye so no face, figure or signature is cut. On canvas the edges are mirror-wrapped, which keeps the whole picture on the front.
Which size is right for my wall?
Aim for about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. Over a sofa or a sideboard, one of the two largest sizes will hold the wall. The size guide lists every size in inches and centimetres, with the kind of wall each one suits.
How long does it take?
Your piece is printed in 1–3 business days, then spends 5–12 business days in transit, tracked all the way. Delivery is free anywhere in the US. We are unable to deliver to PO boxes.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send us a photograph and we will remake it and send it again. There is nothing to return.
Can I return it?
Yes, within 30 days of delivery. Our returns policy has the details.
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
The Merchant Georg Gisze
From $100
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Portrait of the Artist’s Family
From $100
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Jane Seymour, Queen of England
From $100
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Sir Thomas More
From $100
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
The Ambassadors
From $80
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Thomas Godsalve and his Son John
From $80
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Mary, Lady Guildford
From $80
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Sir William Butts
From $100
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Lais of Corinth
From $80
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Sir Henry Guildford
From $80
-
Hans Holbein the Younger
Self-Portrait
From $80
Printed to order
Graded against the original, then printed for you on cotton canvas or fine art paper in 1–3 business days.
The whole painting
Every mark is the artist’s own, and canvas edges are mirror-wrapped so the whole picture stays on the front.
Free US shipping
On every order, tracked, 5–12 business days in transit.
30-day returns
Returns and exchanges within 30 days of delivery.
