A sumptuous guide to the art of Henry VIII ? with analysis of what his collection of paintings and artworks reveal about the man and his reign. No English king is as well-known to us as Henry VIII, famous for six marriages, for breaking with the Pope, dissolving the monasteries and creating the Church of England; and for his ruthless elimination of those who stood in his way. But he was also an enthusiastic patron of the arts who established the most magnificent court ever seen in England. No English monarch ever owned as many houses or spent so lavishly. His palaces, tapestries and paintings enriched the Tudor court and began the Royal Collection, but in contrast to later royal collectors, Henry was not interested in works of art or artists for their own sake. He was interested in storytelling and his own agenda. Ultimately, each of his commissions told some aspect of one central story: self-glorification. King and Collector tells the unique story of art, power and propaganda in Tudor England.
