Page:Hutton, William Holden - Hampton Court (1897).djvu/254

174 himself is small, and of the nature of illumination work, though it is eminently a portrait and a characteristic one.

More interesting and powerful portraits of the King are in other rooms. In the King's Gallery, made originally for the Raffaelle cartoons, is a remarkably fine picture. This was obtained by Charles I. from Lord Arundel, and is one of the best portraits of the King. His beard is still small and thin, his hair is cropped short, his eyes dark and penetrating, his expression coarse and sinister. It seems to be certain that Holbein had no hand in it, nor does it seem probable from the style that it is by Janet. A much smaller picture of the King as an older man is in the same room, and is almost equally interesting.

There are many other pictures of Henry VIII.'s period, nearly all worth examination. There is the Francis I. and his wife Eleanor of Spain, painted apparently by "Maistre Ambroise" at the time of their wedding. There are various contemporary battle scenes, such as the Pavia (No. 605), which belonged to Henry VIII. It is an interesting composition as an historical sketch of the scene, in which Francis I. is prominent. The extremely fine portrait of Thomas Howard, Earl of Surrey, is worth a careful examination. It is clear, impressive, telling, and the red dress is very effective, relieved only by the white at the sleeves and breast, and by the gold chain and gold on the shoes and the scabbard. There is a