Context:
The Tudor king, Henry VIII succeeded his father Henry VII in 1509. He is best remembered for his six marriages and for ordering the dissolution of religious houses which took place between 1535 and 1539. His quest for a male heir and divorce from his first wife Catherine of Aragon led to his establishing himself as head of the Church in England in place of the Pope in 1535 thereby beginning the English Reformation.
Problems:
I am researching Tudor royal iconography, especially portraits of Henry VIII. I want to find visual evidence for the use of the title Fidei Defensor or "Defender of the Faith" conferred by Pope Leo X on Henry VIII of England in 1521 to reward his writing of a treatise against Martin Luther. Where can I find relevant visual material? How do I begin my search? Where do I begin to look?
Approaches:
In addition to portraits, you may consider wider evidence from visual culture. Prints, medals, seals and coins can be rich sources for understanding changes in royal iconography over time as they often bring text and image together. The addition of a text to an image may encourage us to ask: how did the image-makers intend the image to be read? Does the addition of a text to an image restrict possible readings? How do we know it was read, by its intended audience, in the intended way?
In the context of the problem posed, your search could centre on the collections of the British Library and the National Portrait Gallery, London.
Some useful links:
Extract from the papal bull of 1521
Early printed bibles in the British Library, London. In these frontispieces, Henry VIII is shown enthroned holding a book and a sword. He is show approprating symbols of Church (the book) and State (the sword). Thereby, displaying his authority over both institutions. This is echoed in King's Tudor Royal Iconography: Literature and Art in an Age of Religious Crisis Princeton, 1989.
Gold Seal of Henry VIII with inscribed title
Henry VIII and the Barber-Surgeons, 1540, painted by Hans
Holbein, note Henry holds the Sword of State and a seal.
Etching of Henry VIII (ca. 1545) with inscribed title, National Portrait Gallery, London.
Portrait of Henry VIII by Peter Isselburg (Yselburg, Eisselburg), after Cornelis Metsys (Massys) (1508 or 1510-after 1580)
line engraving, 1646, inscribed title, National Portrait Gallery, London
17th Century print of Henry VIII with inscribed title, National Portrait Gallery, London. This may be useful for illustrating later receptions of the title. By the term "reception" we mean how the image was depicted at a later time. An example of this is seen in the use of title abbreviation on contemporary British coins see Threeminutetheologian blog
