Henry VIII and the Barber Surgeons, Hans Holbein the Younger, circa 1543

John chambers sir william butts on the king’s right side are his two physicians, dr. John chambers and sir william butts and his apothecary thomas alsop. The figures of sir william butts and the doctor john chambers are closely related to portraits of them by holbein (left), though the overpainting has made this less clear (art historian john rowlands reproduces an infra-red photograph of the underdrawing). Thomas vicary, anatomist on the king’s left side are his serjeant-surgeon, thomas vicary (master 1530, 1541, 1546, 1548, 1557); (in the final version:his surgeons, sir john ayliffe (master 1538), james monforde (warden 1540, 1543) and richard ferris (master 1551, 1562) and his barbers, nicholas simpson (master 1537), edmund harman (master 1540), and john penn (master 1539). Others portrayed and named are nicholas alcock, christopher salmon (master 1552) and william tilley (warden 1540, 1546)). Beneath the overpainting and additions (such as the windows) by later hands, this cartoon reveals holbein's original conception for the final work. The painting itself, however, departs markedly from it in places, for example in the second row of figures on the right and in the background. [2] it was for a long time believed that this version was a copy, but x-rays have revealed that, under the paint, the paper is pricked all over, following the outlines of the composition. This shows that it was used to mark up the original version of the painting. [3]. Date: circa 1543. Dimensions: height: 160 cm (62.9 in); width: 280 cm (110.2 in). Medium: oil on paper mounted on canvas. Henry VIII and the Barber Surgeons, by Hans Holbein the Younger