Anne Boleyn, Queen of King Henry VIII - Jacobus Houbraken

A detailed 1738 engraving by Jacobus Houbraken depicting Anne Boleyn, featuring symbolic allegorical elements related to her life and death.

This engraving by Jacobus Houbraken depicts Anne Boleyn, the second wife of King Henry VIII. Houbraken, a Dutch engraver, produced this work as part of the series 'Heads of Illustrious Persons of Great Britain', which was published in London between 1743 and 1752. The print is dated 1738 in the lower margin, indicating its production prior to the full collection release.

The composition follows the conventions of eighteenth-century portraiture. Anne Boleyn is shown in profile within a circular frame, wearing a French hood adorned with pearls and a bodice featuring similar embellishments. The portrait is set against an architectural backdrop, a common device in the period to provide a sense of gravitas. Below the portrait, a putto is shown holding a cloth over a severed head, a direct reference to the queen's execution at the Tower of London in 1536. This allegorical inclusion serves to narrate the tragic conclusion of her life.

Houbraken was highly regarded for his technical precision in copperplate engraving. His ability to render textures, from the soft folds of the fabric to the metallic sheen of the jewellery, demonstrates his command of the medium. The work is based on a painting by Hans Holbein the Younger, though Houbraken adapted the likeness to suit the aesthetic preferences of his own time. The inclusion of the putto and the axe provides a dramatic contrast to the stillness of the portrait above, creating a visual narrative that balances historical documentation with symbolic storytelling. This print remains a fine example of the reproductive engraving tradition, where artists translated painted works into monochrome prints for wider circulation among collectors and historians.