#also anne of cleves is my favorite but don't tell the others because i love them all

[adderstones]

Next two of Henry VIII's wives: Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves!

Putting a little explanation for these designs under the break:

Both of these women were painted by Hans Holbien, and their portraits by that artist played a pretty vital role in how I wanted to depict these women. For Jane, I decided to stick as close as I could, because I think Jane gets the most artistic interpretation than any of the other wives. She's a blank slate to a lot of directors in Tudor adaptations. This is brought on by the very scant records we have of what she was really like in life. We do know she loved quail while she was pregnant, and encouraged Henry to treat his daughter Mary better, which ultimately ended in her being welcomed back at court. Her family has kept samples of her embroidery through history, so it's fun to imagine her working on something in between breaks for her portrait.

For Anne, I went the complete opposite. Her Holbien portrait is extremely famous, but I feel like it creates the misconception that Anne never changed during the rest of her life in England. The portrait also has been used to cast doubts on her appearance (and whether or not her looks are exagerrated). In reality, Anne was dressed in typical English court digs when she arrived in England, and was noted to be very pretty. It wasn't until after Henry cast doubts on her appearrance, and even her chastity, in order to get out of the marriage as quickly as possible. I wanted to give these back to her, as white symbolised purity and chastity in this period. Anne lived a good life as Henry's sister, and outlived all the other of Henry's wives. She was known for being kind to her staff, and loving to pair cards with a good drink.