Holbein at the Court of Henry VIII

Online

Dr Richard Williams

10 pre-recorded lectures and 5 Zoom seminars over 5 weeks, in 2025 at 19:00 [London time], from Wednesday 8 January to Wednesday 5 February

and in 2026 at 18:30 [London time], from Wednesday 7 January to Wednesday 4 February

£395

Please note that the 2025 course has now finished, and booking for the 2026 course will open in mid-July 2025. You can browse our upcoming April evening study online courses here.

Course description

Hans Holbein redefined the image of kingship for Henry VIII and brilliantly captured the pre-eminent personalities of the early Tudor court.

This course will consider Holbein’s earlier development as a pioneering German artist who engaged with new cultural influences of the Renaissance. It will then explore his two visits to England in the context of new developments in sculpture, architecture, printmaking, and other art forms. This flourishing artistic culture will be set against the backdrop of revolutionary political change and violent religious conflict.

Lecturer's biography

Dr Richard Williams completed his doctorate at The Courtauld and was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship by Yale University. Following this he was a specialist in Northern Renaissance art in the art history department at Birkbeck, University of London. More recently he has been appointed Learning Curator at the Royal Collection and is based at Windsor Castle and Buckingham Palace. His published research focuses on art in England and other regions of Northern Europe in the sixteenth century.

Citations