This paper focuses on two portraits by the famed German painter of the English court Hans Holbein the Younger, Sir Henry Guildford and Mary Wotton, Lady Guildford, the latter of which is among the most important Northern Renaissance paintings in the collection of the Saint Louis Art Museum. In my paper, I demonstrate how these paintings are representative of the mode of portraiture established and popularized by Holbein in England in the early sixteenth-century through an examination of style, form, and the depiction of gender. Holbein’s continental European training infused his work with a humanist-influenced taste for realistic and individualized portraiture that was highly desired by English patrons. As paired portraits portraying husband and wife, these paintings are exceptionally well-suited for highlighting gender differences in representation that underscore desired qualities in men and women. Sir Henry’s masculinity is emphasized by the attributes of his office, rich clothing, and stern expression, while Lady Mary’s femininity is emphasized by her piety represented in her prayer book and modesty represented by her bodily position and muted expression. All of these qualities become even more apparent when compared with Holbein’s preparatory sketches for the portraits. This investigation into the conventions for the representation of gender is relevant not only to these paintings, but to the larger discussion of humanism in sixteenth-century Europe.

Bailey McCulloch would like to thank their faculty sponsor Dr. Cathleen Fleck for their support of this project.