Portrait of Simon George of Cornwall, ca. 1535 – 1540

About the Work

Hans Holbein the Younger, court painter to Henry VIII, will have encountered the country nobleman Simon George of Cornwall in London. The portrait was required for purposes of courtship, as is indicated by the carnation and the clasp on the beret. The latter depicts Leda’s union with Jupiter in the shape of a swan, thus revealing the portrait subject’s erotic intentions. Simon George not only sports a sumptuous costume tailored in the latest fashion; he also chose one of the most modern picture forms of the time: the profile likeness – derived from antique coins – in a tondo.