Art historian identifies lost painting of King Henry VIII in Warwickshire County Council collection

A post on X (previously Twitter) by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire has led to the remarkable discovery of an artwork commissioned by Ralph Sheldon in the 16th century that was long thought to be lost.

Art historian and consultant for Sotheby's, Adam Busiakiewicz, came across the post on X by chance and noticed a particular painting in the background of the photo with a distinctive arched top that caught his attention.

Mr Busiakiewicz arranged a visit to view the painting in person with Warwick historian Aaron Manning. Following detailed observations and research, he is confident that the portrait of King Henry VIII is a Sheldon Master, part of a 22 piece portrait collection from the 1590s commissioned by Ralph Sheldon. The collection features portraits of Kings, Queens, and significant contemporary international figures.

A clear image of the King Henry VIII painting is available to view on the artuk website.

Mr Busiakiewicz has produced two articles on his findings around why he believes this is one of Ralph Sheldon’s commissions, which are available to read below:

• Ralph Sheldon’s Portrait of Henry VIII Reidentified
• Further Observations on Ralph Sheldon’s Portrait of Henry VIII

The painting has since been moved to Warwickshire County Council’s (WCC) Museum Collections Centre for further evaluation and research into its history.

Cllr Heather Timms, WCC Portfolio Holder for Environment, Climate and Culture, said:

We are absolutely delighted to learn that one of the paintings displayed in Judges’ House at Shire Hall in Warwick could in fact be a historically significant piece.

The King Henry VIII artwork has now been moved to our Museum Collections Centre where further research will take place, demonstrating that even in the present day there is still so much of our county's rich and vibrant cultural heritage to discover.

We are grateful to Adam Busiakiewicz and Aaron Manning for sharing their expertise with us, which has led to the exciting identification of this piece connected to Ralph Sheldon. We look forward to working with art historians and experts to further explore the painting's history and significance.

Heritage & Culture Warwickshire (HCW) have a portrait of Ralph Sheldon and his Tapestry Map of Warwickshire already on display at Market Hall Museum in Warwick. The tapestry map was one of four depicting southern central England from Gloucester to London, and along with the 22 portraits, was commissioned by Sheldon for Weston House in the 1590s. The portrait collection would have originally been on display in the architectural frieze of the Long Gallery at Weston House.

Whilst no plans are yet confirmed, HCW hope that the King Henry VIII portrait can be displayed alongside these pieces in the museum to add to both Ralph Sheldon’s story and the enriching cultural history of Warwickshire.

Market Hall Museum is part of Heritage and Culture Warwickshire, the WCC’s unique group of community services responsible for the county’s museum collections, archives, local studies, arts provision and heritage learning services.