Published online by Cambridge University Press: 28 November 2008
Building on the pioneering work of Edward Croft Murray, this paper investigates a painting in Chichester Cathedral depicting Henry VII and Henry VIII and executed by the Netherlandish artist Lambert Barnard. With close attention to the chronology of Henry VIII's reign, it explores the painting's rich religious, political and cultural context, proposes a date for its execution, and reveals its links to Arthurian legend. The painting emerges as a sophisticated work of political theatre and propaganda with important implications for our understanding of early Tudor image-making.