An Allegory of the Tudor Succession: The Family of Henry VIII
Unknown artist
ca. 1590
Made as Henry VIII’s dynasty was nearing its end, this painting celebrates the triumph of the Protestant church he established. The imagined scene depicts the king passing his sword to his son, Edward VI. His Protestant daughter, Elizabeth I, is accompanied by Peace, stamping the weapons beneath her feet, and Plenty, carrying a cornucopia filled with fruits and flowers. By contrast, Henry’s Catholic daughter, Mary I, and her husband, Philip II of Spain, stand near War, clad in armor and carrying a lance. The small portrait on the far left is of William Somers, the jester who served all four of these Tudor monarchs, and perhaps the only person who could have survived such violent swings of religious policy.
Yale Center for British Art, New Haven · Image: Yale Center for British Art, Public domain · Text: Yale Center for British Art, CC0