To go with the Holbein embroidered cuffs that I recently made, I have put together another Holbein pattern combination to embroider on to the collar of a partlet.
I have taken the pattern from John's collar from 1528 (pictured above) and added the crosses on the edges from Jane Seymour's cuffs from 1536-37 (pictured below).
This is the combined Holbein pattern that I have put together for my next embroidery project.
Since only the first part of John's collar is visible in Holbein's painting, I entered in my own opinion of how the patterns would have been connected further along on his collar. I tested it out with different patterns, including placing the tails side by side (which looked too cluttered) and by placing a diamond between the tails (which still looked cluttered). A line is very simple, but I think it looks more even and pleasing to the eye. What do you think?
When I mention Holbein, I am referring to Hans Holbein the Younger. He was a court painter in the court of King Henry VIII until his death in 1543.
Hans Holbein the Younger painted a portrait of Jane Seymour, 3rd wife of
King Henry VIII of England, around 1536. In this portrait, her cuffs
have a decorative blackwork embroidery pattern on them. Which pattern
interpretation do you believe is the embroidery pattern found on Jane's
cuffs?
Jane's primary talent was embroidery. Although none of her embroidery
survives today, it is quite possible that the embroidery pattern
featured on her cuffs in Holbein's portrait of her was of her own
making. In Tudor England, it was common for women of her status to
embroider their own shifts, as well as their husband's shirts.
Hans Holbein the Younger was a 16th century European painter, just like
his older brother Ambrosius and his father, Hans the Elder. If you hear
the term 'Holbein stitch', it is in reference to Hans the Younger. From
his friendship with Erasmus, he had a letter of introduction and found
himself in England to eventually become a court painter in the court of
King Henry VIII of England. Compared to other artists at the time,
Holbein painted numerous portraits with blackwork embroidery in them.
Let’s play a game of guessing whether the person in the 16th century
Holbein portrait was wearing silk or wool thread for their blackwork
embroidery!
In the 16th century, silk thread was popular for blackwork embroidery…
for those above a certain station in life. During King Henry VIII’s
reign, he passed 4 Acts of Apparel: in 1510, 1514, 1515, and 1533. These
laws regulated what people were and were not allowed to wear to help
define their hierarchical status within society, or face the
consequences of being fined for disobeying the law. These laws continued
and were updated through Queen Elizabeth I’s reign.
As of 1533, no man under the degree of a Baron’s son or of a Knight,
except for if he had earned
yearly in lands or tenements, rents fees or annuities to his own use for
term of his life or in the right of his wife two hundred pounds over
all charges shall wear any manner of embroidery with gold, silver or
silk in any part of their apparel.
So, if a person could not wear silk embroidery, what could they use?
Cotton or linen may have been used, but wool was probably the most
popular among those who didn’t qualify for silk embroidery (because wool
was the most popular fabric due to the successful wool trade).
So… with Holbein’s portraits with blackwork embroidery in them, let’s
playing a guessing game of if they’re wearing silk or wool! Since King
Henry VIII was the king of England, this game will apply only to
Holbein’s sketches and portraits of English subjects. I’ll give a few
details about the person, wait a moment to see if you can guess the
answer, and then I’ll post the answer on the screen. Ready?
Works Cited:
- Holbein, Hans. “Mrs Jane Small, formerly Mrs Pemberton.” V&A
Museum.
- Holbein d. J., Hans. “Jane Seymour.” Kunst Historisches Museum Wien.
- Holbein, Hans the Younger. “Double Portrait of Sir Thomas Godsalve and
His Son John.” Web Gallery of Art.
- Holbein, Hans the Younger. “Portrait of Henry Howard, the Earl of
Surrey.” Web Gallery of Art.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Elizabeth, Lady Audley.” Royal Collection
Trust.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Katherine, Duchess of Suffolk.” Royal
Collection Trust.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Lady Margaret (Bacon) Butts.” Isabella
Stewart Gardner Museum.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Margaret Roper (Margaret More).” The Met
Museum.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Anne Cresacre.” Royal Collection Trust.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Portrait of Robert Cheseman.” Mauritshuis.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Thomas, 2nd Baron Vaux.” Royal Collection
Trust.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Thomas Howard, Third Duke of Norfolk.”
Royal Collection Trust.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Edward Fiennes de Clinton.” Royal
Collection Trust.
- Holbein d. J., Hans. “The Family of Thomas More.” KunstMuseum Basel.
- Holbein the Younger, Hans. “Queen Anne Boleyn.” Royal Collection
Trust.
