28th September 2006 — 7th January 2007
Come and see Holbein's beautiful portraits of sumptuously-attired aristocrats, many of whom lost their heads to the whims of Henry VIII. The portrait miniatures are sublime. This exhibition is a snapshot of the Tudor court at an utterly fascinating and seminal moment in British history. We see the familiar drama of Henry VIII and his six wives, his split from the Catholic church and its bloody fallout painted and drawn in the startlingly contemporary faces of these courtiers. It is tempting to draw comparisons with our current uncertain times - megalomaniac leaders and wars of religion, celebrity culture and status-enhancing 'bling'.
AMG