Rare 1714 Mezzotint Portrait of Henry VIII – John Faber the Elder After Holbein

Rare 1714 Mezzotint Portrait of Henry VIII – John Faber the Elder after Holbein – Early Georgian An early 18th-century mezzotint portrait depicting King Henry VIII, engraved by the noted mezzotint artist John Faber the Elder (c.1660–1721), and dated 1714. The composition is derived from the celebrated portrait type by Hans Holbein the Younger, court painter to Henry VIII, whose iconic image of the monarch became one of the most recognisable royal likenesses in European portraiture. The print presents the king in half-length, richly dressed in elaborate Tudor costume, wearing a feathered cap and heavy chains of office, rendered with the deep tonal richness characteristic of the mezzotint process. Faber’s engraving skill is evident in the subtle modelling of the face and textiles, achieved through graduated tonal fields rather than linear engraving alone. The inscription below identifies the sitter as Henricus VIII Angliae Rex, with references to Trinity College, Cambridge and Richard Bentley (S.T.P. Cantab), indicating that the engraving was taken from a painting associated with an academic collection. Such mezzotints were highly prized in the early 18th century for disseminating important historical and royal imagery. Originally based on Holbein’s lost Whitehall Palace mural (destroyed in the fire of 1698), prints such as this played a vital role in preserving and popularising the monarch’s iconic image. Presented in a period-style frame with mount. Details: Engraver: John Faber the Elder (signed in plate) Date: 1714 Medium: Mezzotint engraving on paper Subject: King Henry VIII (1491–1547) After: Hans Holbein the Younger Origin: England, early 18th century Framed and glazed A striking example of early Georgian printmaking and an evocative historical portrait, suitable for collectors of British royal portraiture, early prints, or Tudor historical material.