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Hans Holbein the Younger (artist) German, 1497/1498 - 1543 Sir Brian Tuke, c. 1527/1528 or c. 1532/1534 oil on panel Overall: 49.1 x 38.5 cm (19 5/16 x 15 3/16 in.) framed: 67 x 57.5 x 7.6 cm (26 3/8 x 22 5/8 x 3 in.) Andrew W. Mellon Collection 1937.1.65 On View |
The political strength of Henry VIII's regime lay in his ability to choose advisors who were both wise and learned. One of these men was Sir Brian Tuke. As Master of the Posts, he organized and established England's postal service. In 1528 Sir Brian was appointed treasurer and secretary of the royal household, a position he held until his death in 1545. He was also admired as an eloquent speaker and literary figure who authored a preface to an edition of Chaucer.
The portrait, which shows Tuke at the age of fifty-seven, exemplifies the qualities most praised in Holbein's work: precise observation of detail and impartial, accurate portrayal of the face. Yet the image is also tinged with gentle sorrow. On the table beneath Tuke's left hand is a folded paper bearing a quotation from the Book of Job (10:20) which begins, "Are not my days few?" The gravity of the sentiment is echoed in Tuke's countenance; his faint smile is pained and his eyes, fixed but not focused, seem melancholy.