Art, culture & history images

This month we celebrate the 500th anniversary of Henry VIII's accession to the throne of England. Henry's reign was second in a period of Tudor rule that lasted for 120 years. We generally remember the Tudor era as a romantic yet harrowing time rife with the beheading of wives, Shakespearean drama, sibling rivalry and a beloved red haired virgin. Fortunately, there exists a visual record of the Tudor period as seen through the eyes of the court artists. Celebrated portrait artists such as Hans Holbein the Younger, Lucas Horenbout and Nicholas Hilliard paint a vivid picture of the people, costume and pageantry of the era.

View images by Tudor court artists

The Tudors, like all royal families, inherited and commissioned an impressive number of houses and properties in England. Bridgeman Art Library represents many collections rich in English architectural history. Take a look at photographer Mark Fiennes' collection of English and European artifacts, paintings and decorative arts, including photographs of many wonderful examples of Elizabethan architecture.  Hever Castle, Anne Boleyn's family home, is another great resource for Tudor era architecture and artifacts. The National Trust Photographic Library is an excellent archive of English historic properties, paintings and artifacts, including many from the 15th and 16th centuries.