Meynnart Wewyck facts for kids
Meynnart Wewyck, also known as Maynard Vewicke, was a talented painter from the Netherlands. He worked in England and Scotland between about 1502 and 1525. He was known by different names like "Maynard" and "Mynours."
Wewyck was a special artist for the English kings. He worked for King Henry VII and then for his son, King Henry VIII. He also spent a short time working for King James IV in Scotland. We know he painted portraits of many members of the royal family. He also made drawings for the tomb of Lady Margaret Beaufort, who was King Henry VII's mother. Her tomb is in Westminster Abbey.
In 2019, new research found a painting of Lady Margaret Beaufort at St John's College, Cambridge, that was painted by Wewyck. Another painting of King Henry VII at the Society of Antiquaries of London is also thought to be his work. Later, other experts suggested that four portraits of King Henry VIII and two of his mother, Elizabeth of York, might also be by Wewyck.
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A Royal Painter's Journey
Meynnart Wewyck was one of the first important artists to work for the Tudor kings. His long career with King Henry VII and King Henry VIII is well-recorded. We know a lot about him because his name appears in many old documents.
Painting for Scottish Royalty
On September 19, 1502, "Mynour," the English court painter, brought four portraits of the English royal family to King James IV of Scotland. This happened at Stirling Castle. The paintings included King Henry VII, Queen Elizabeth of York, Prince Henry (who would become King Henry VIII), and Princess Margaret. Princess Margaret had just married King James IV by a special ceremony where someone stood in for him.
The Scottish royal records show that King James IV gave "Mynour" 50 French crowns, which was a lot of money back then. Meynnart Wewyck stayed at the Scottish court until November 1503. Then, he went back to England. The portraits he made in Scotland are now lost. However, some drawings made later might be copies of his work.
Working for the English Crown
In England, "Maynard" was paid for pictures on March 15, 1505. Lady Margaret Beaufort was King Henry VII's mother. She also founded two famous colleges, St John's College and Christ's College, in Cambridge. In 1506, her helpers paid "Maynard Waywike, Duchman" for her portrait. This shows that he was likely from the Netherlands.
In 1510, Wewyck was hired to design a painting and drawings for Lady Margaret's tomb. The famous sculptor Pietro Torrigiano would create the tomb for Henry VII's chapel in Westminster Abbey. Records from 1511 and 1512 show payments for this work. One record even shows how Wewyck spelled his own name.
Wewyck lived in London in 1523. He was still alive in 1525. King Henry VIII's records show a payment to "olde maynerd wewoke paynter" in September of that year.
Discovering Wewyck's Artworks
Meynnart Wewyck was the first painter of portraits chosen by an English king. He likely painted the original versions of many popular portraits. These included pictures of King Henry VII, Queen Elizabeth of York, Prince Arthur, Prince Henry (later Henry VIII), and Lady Margaret Beaufort. King Henry VII paid him for pictures in March 1505.
For a long time, no paintings could be definitely said to be by Wewyck. But this changed in 2019.
The Lady Margaret Beaufort Portrait
On March 29, 2019, St John's College, Cambridge, announced an exciting discovery. New research showed that a portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort was an original work by Wewyck. This painting was ordered around 1510, a year after her death. It was given to St John's College in 1534. Today, it hangs in the Master's Lodge at the college.
Art historians Dr. Charlotte Bolland and Dr. Andrew Chen published their findings. They used new information from old documents, science, and art style to confirm it. They believe it is "probably the earliest known large-scale portrait of an English woman." A copy of the painting made later shows details that are now hard to see on the original.
Other Attributed Works
Based on their work with Lady Margaret Beaufort's portrait, the experts also believe Wewyck painted a similar portrait of King Henry VII. This painting is kept by the Society of Antiquaries of London.
Dr. Chen explained how important these discoveries are. He said these paintings can help us learn more about Wewyck's other works. As one of the first Dutch painters to work for the Tudor court, Wewyck helped bring new art skills to England. These skills shaped how portraits were painted in England for the next 100 years.
More research happened quickly in 2019. Experts from the Yale Center for British Art and other groups started a project. They looked at paintings at the Denver Art Museum. They found four portraits of Henry VIII (two as a prince and two as king) and two portraits of his mother, Elizabeth of York. They are "fairly certain" these were painted by Wewyck.
They also found something amazing. The portrait of Henry VII at the Society of Antiquaries, the 1509 portrait of Prince Henry, and three other portraits of Henry VIII were all painted on wood panels. These panels came from the same tree!
It is thought that Meynnart the painter might have created a series of portraits of English kings. These pictures were placed between the windows in the Great Hall of Richmond Palace.
