This term in art, we are learning about Tudor Portraiture.
We will be exploring how artists used portraits to show power, status and identity during the Tudor period. Our work is inspired by the famous Tudor artist Hans Holbein the Younger.
By the end of this unit, you will know that:
a portrait is a picture of a person
portraits can show power, importance and personality
Tudor portraits were carefully planned, not casual pictures
artists used clothing, objects and symbols to show status
Hans Holbein the Younger was an important artist at the Tudor court
artists use proportion, detail and symmetry to make portraits look realistic
You will learn and use art vocabulary such as:
portrait, proportion, symmetry, shading, tone, detail, symbolism, status
In art lessons, we learn to observe carefully and make choices.
This means we will:
look closely at faces, clothing and posture
notice how artists show realism and importance
practise techniques in our sketchbooks
experiment with shading and tone
talk about artwork using art vocabulary
explain what works well and what could be improved
Artists observe, practise and refine their work.
As you explore Tudor portraits, think about:
What can a portrait tell us about a person?
Why might an artist choose to show someone in expensive clothing?
How does posture or facial expression affect how we see a person?
Are portraits always realistic, or are they sometimes exaggerated?
🖼️ Portrait Detective
Look closely at a Tudor portrait.
List three things that show the person was important.
👀 Observation Challenge
Look at your own face in a mirror.
Which features are symmetrical? Which are not?
🎭 Symbol Challenge
If you were painted in Tudor times, what object would you include to show who you are or what matters to you?
How can art be used to show power and identity?
Artists do not just draw what they see —
they make choices to send a message.