Henry and Katherine reunited

View of the Gallery's Henry and Katherine reunited display
© National Portrait Gallery, London

Past display archive
24 January - 1 September 2013

Room 1

Free

A recently re-identified portrait of Katherine of Aragon, which is on long-term loan to the Gallery from Lambeth Palace, is displayed alongside a portrait of Henry VIII from the same period. The portrait of Katherine of Aragon has undergone extensive conservation treatment, which has revealed the green damask background in the painting, and the original decorative scheme on the frame. Both paintings are likely to be examples of the type of portrait of the king and queen that would have been produced in multiple versions, some of which would have been paired in this way.

Find out more about the conservation of the portrait of Katherine of Aragon >
    King Henry VIII,    by Unknown Anglo-Netherlandish artist,    circa 1520,    NPG 4690,    © National Portrait Gallery, London
King Henry VIII unknown Anglo-Netherlandish artist, c.1520
© National Portrait Gallery, London NPG 4690
    Katherine of Aragon,    by Unknown artist,    circa 1520,    NPG L246,    © National Portrait Gallery, London.  By permission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church Commissioners; on loan to the National Portrait Gallery, London
Katherine of Aragon unknown artist, c.1520 By permission of the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Church Commissioners NPG L246