Henry VIII and Art: Issues of Communication, Appreciation and Gender

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This is a ground-breaking study of the ways in which a developed conception of 'art' in the modern sense of the term can first be identified in the reign of Henry VIII (1509-47). It is also a new examination of the place of art in public life during one of the most momentous periods of change in English history, as Henry VIII broke from the Church of Rome and inaugurated the royal relationship with the Church of England which survives to this day. It has long been recognized that portraits, prints, spectacles, tapestries, buildings and other artistic forms contributed to the royal magnificence and rich visual culture of Henrician England, but this project goes much further in assessing the extent to which Henry VIII and his political advisers exploited art to communicate precise and detailed messages about the king and his power to a broad spectrum of viewers. In addition, this project also establishes that it was during this same critical period of change that people began to think about works of art as aesthetic objects rather than as aids to devotion or displays of status - so not only was art a tool for those promoting change, it itself underwent significant changes in terms of what people thought it was and what it was for.