Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon

by Unknown artist
oil on panel, circa 1580-1590
22 in. x 17 1/2 in. (559 mm x 445 mm)
Purchased, 1863
Primary Collection
NPG 163

Sitter

Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), First Queen of Henry VIII. Sitter associated with 10 portraits.

Artist

Unknown artist. Artist associated with 6491 portraits.

This Portrait

The youngest child of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain, Catherine's first husband Prince Arthur, Henry VII's elder son, died in 1502. In 1509 she married Arthur's younger brother Henry VIII, and bore him five children, of whom only Princess Mary (later Mary I) survived. Longing for a son and keen to marry Anne Boleyn, Henry questioned the validity of their marriage, and it was finally annulled in 1533. This portrait of Catherine, in which she holds a bunch of lavender, matches the description of her given by an Italian visitor to London two years before the annullment: 'If not handsome she is not ugly; she is somewhat stout and has always a smile on her countenance.'

Linked Publications

Tudor Portraits Resource Pack, p. 16
Gittings, Clare, The National Portrait Gallery Book of The Tudors, 2006, p. 10
John Cooper, National Portrait Gallery Visitor's Guide, 2006, p. 148
MacLeod, Catharine, Tudor Portraits in the National Portrait Gallery collection, 1996, p. 16
Ribeiro, Aileen, The Gallery of Fashion, 2000, p. 30
Saywell, David; Simon, Jacob, Complete Illustrated Catalogue, 2004, p. 109
Williamson, David, The National Portrait Gallery's History of the Kings and Queens of England, 1998, p. 88

Subjects & Themes

Hats and head-attire
Jewellery