From 20 June to 8 September 2024, the National Portrait Gallery presents the exhibition “Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens”

Source: National Portrait Gallery · Image: “Anne Boleyn”, unknown 16th century artist. National Portrait Gallery, London

Historic paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger and contemporary photography by Hiroshi Sugimoto meet in the National Portrait Gallery’s first exhibition of historic portraiture since reopening, presenting a study of the lives and afterlives of the six women who married Henry VIII.

The exhibition chronicles the representation of Katherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Katherine Parr throughout history and popular culture in the centuries since they lived. As a frequent source of fascination, the stories of the six women has repeatedly inspired writers and artists of all kinds to attempt to uncover the ‘truth’ of their lives: their characters, their appearance and their relationships. From historic paintings, drawings and ephemera, to contemporary photography, costume and film, the exhibition draws upon a wealth of factual and fictional materials to present the life, legacy and portrayal of six women who forever changed the landscape of English history.

The accompanying publication “Six Lives: The Stories of Henry VIII’s Queens”, written by curator Dr. Charlotte Bolland, includes essays from award-winning historian and broadcaster, Professor Suzannah Lipscomb; early modern historian, Dr. Nicola Clark; art historian and curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Brett Dolman; curator at Historic Royal Palaces, Dr. Alden Gregory; material culture and music historian, Benjamin Hebbert; author and historian, Dr. Nicola Tallis; and historian, Dr. Valerie Schutte.