Cristina de Dinamarca, duquesa de Milán

In 1538 Henry VIII of England was a widower again, hunting for a fourth wife, and he sent his court painter Holbein to Brussels to bring back the face of a candidate. She was Christina of Denmark, 16 years old and already the widowed Duchess of Milan. Holbein got just three hours with her, from one to four in the afternoon on the 12th of March, made his sketches, and built this full-length portrait from them. Henry was delighted. He was reported to be in wonderful spirits, keeping musicians playing all day. Christina was far less keen on a king already known across Europe for how he treated his wives, and the marriage never happened. Henry kept the picture anyway until he died. She stands in plain black mourning, hands folded in dark gloves, watching you back with a faint, guarded half-smile.