Drafting the Blackwork Embroidery Pattern from Jane Seymour's Cuffs | Holbein Stitch

Step by step of how I draft early 16th century blackwork embroidery, aka Holbein stitch or double-running stitch, patterns from the portrait of Jane Seymour (3rd wife of Henry VIII of England) painted by Hans Holbein the Younger.

 

Hans Holbein the Younger was a 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. 

 

 

      Works Cited: 

- Holbein d. J., Hans. “Jane Seymour.” Kunst Historisches Museum Wien. 

- Holbein d. J., Hans. “Portrait of a Noble Boy with a Marmoset.” KunstMuseum Basel.