Painted portraits reflect contemporary perceptions of Thomas More as he moved from being a living statesman to a revered saint. Hans Holbein the Younger had More sitting in front of him; William Frederick Yeames painted the Thomas More mythology, and Stephen B. Whatley created a portrait of a legend and a saint. By the time Whatley picked up his brushes, Henry VIII's own Church of England had included the Catholic More as a saint in their calendar.
Tudor Portraits of Thomas More During his Life
The famous More portrait by Hans Holbein was painted in 1527, eight years before the English knight was executed by Henry VIII. He had written Utopia, but he had not yet been made Lord Chancellor or written his responses to William Tyndale and Simon Fish. In the sketches and paintings, Holbein presents More as focused and serious,and he seems softer in Holbein's sketch than in the final painting.
He is also seen sitting with his family, and they are surrounded by the little details hinting at details of More's life, like the small animals at his feet. Holbein embedded meaningful additions to his paintings; Jack Leslau has an imaginative explanation for the symbology of the More family portrait.
Hans Holbein's portraits influence the later images of More; some of the paintings attributed to Holbein are actually copies of his works. The famous More portrait by Holbein is in the Frick collection in New York.
Portraits of the Blessed Thomas More after his Execution
Tudor artist Rowland Lockley copied the Holbein paintings, and the More family had other paintings made to show later family members joining Sir Thomas in the portrait. The More family clung to his memory and his reputation; his daughter Margaret preserved his papers, and his son-in-law Will Roper wrote one of the most well-loved biographies about More.
Later portraits of More took on a storybook sentimentality after he was recommended for sainthood and became the Blessed Thomas More. William Frederick Yeames' painting "The Meeting Of Sir Thomas More With His Daughter After His Sentence Of Death" and Edward Matthew Ward's "Sir Thomas More's Farewell to his Daughter" capture the Victorian admiration of the virtues of More as a family man. Victorian and Edwardian art indicate that people were celebrating and dramatizing Thomas More as a martyr far more than as an author or statesman.
Modern Portraits of Saint Thomas More
After his canonization as a Catholic saint, Holbein's iconic painting inspired literal iconographic portraits of More, and its influence is felt in less sedate arts. The Holbein portrait was clearly used in costume and set design for Showtime's The Tudors series; in the deleted scenes, the show recreates Holbein painting More, and the scene is painstakingly accurate.
One of the most beautiful and accurate reflections of Thomas More was painted by Stephen B. Whatley in 2000. The painting echoes Holbein's portrait, but makes More otherworldly and electrified. In some ways, the Whatley portrait does what a mere biography of words cannot: it simultaneously shows Thomas More in a splash of light and shadow, of color and darkness, of energy and calm.
People identify with Thomas More in a variety of ways. His Catholic faith appeals to Christians, his integrity is what people hope to find in all lawyers and public servants, his writing is still relevant and entertaining, and his commitment to God, his family, and his conscience set high standards. Artistic portraits pinpoint the collective attitude towards More. Hans Holbein painted a decorous public servant and a loving family. Victorian painters focused on melodramatic moments of More's life as related to his execution. Today, perceptions of More balance his life and his sainthood, and modern art reflects that he was an ordinary man with otherworldly attributes.
Additional Reading
An Overview of Literary Portraits of Sir Thomas More discusses More as presented by writers from Desiderius Erasmus to Hilary Mantel.
Alex Sharp - Alex Sharp is a teacher who has been keeping Suite101 readers up to date with the latest in audio- and e-book gadgetry since 2008.
