Margaret Holsewyther facts for kids

Margaret Holsewyther (born around 1504 – died after 1560) was a talented English artist. She specialized in creating tiny, detailed paintings called miniatures. Margaret worked for the kings and queens of England during the Tudor period. Her husbands were paid for her artwork, which sometimes makes it hard to know exactly which paintings she created. She worked during the reigns of four different monarchs and was married three times.

Margaret's Life and Art

Margaret Holsewyther was likely born in England in 1504.

Her First Marriage and Studio

Around 1525, Margaret married Lucas Horenbout. He was an artist from Ghent. Lucas came to England in 1525 and was paid by the King as a "pictor maker," which means a painter. By 1531, he was known as the "King's Painter." This important job was confirmed for life in 1534. Lucas became a naturalized citizen of England.

Lucas Horenbout earned a lot of money. He and Margaret lived in a house in Charing Cross with their daughter, Jacquemine. Their art studio had four foreign workers. Lucas died in London and was buried at Saint Martin in the Fields. He left his studio to Margaret and their daughter. For many years after Lucas's death, his studio continued to receive payments. Queen Catherine Parr paid the studio for miniature paintings that Margaret likely created.

Working for the Queen

Three years after Lucas died, Queen Catherine Parr paid the studio sixty shillings for some paintings. Margaret then remarried. Her new husband, Hugh Haward, was paid another sixty shillings for paintings of the King and Queen. There is no proof that Hugh Haward was a painter himself. This suggests Margaret was still the main artist.

Margaret and her studio created many miniature paintings of Queen Catherine Parr. They also painted the future King Edward VI. Queen Catherine would give these small portraits as gifts. It was like giving out a special calling card to people she wanted to impress. It is believed that Queen Catherine Parr employed three women miniature painters. These were Susannah Hornebolt, Levina Teerlinc, and Margaret Holsewyther.

Her Later Life

Margaret married for a third time on November 18, 1560. Her new husband was Hans or John Hunt, who worked as an armourer for Queen Elizabeth I. We do not know when or where Margaret Holsewyther died.

Discovering Hidden Artists

Recent studies have helped uncover the work of artists like Margaret Holsewyther. These women were often the wives of famous Tudor artists. They ran art studios, but their own contributions were sometimes overlooked. Researchers are still trying to understand how much these women were involved in the actual painting.