Lady Alice of Norwich, School of Holbein, An Elliott Best Original

Hans Holbein the Younger (1497–1543) was the greatest portraitist of the Northern Renaissance — the man who painted Henry VIII, Thomas More, and the cream of Tudor England with a technical precision and psychological acuity that has never quite been surpassed. His sitters were powerful, composed, and invariably presented at their most formidable.

Lady Alice of Norwich is painted in that tradition. The Holbein hallmarks are all present: the flat, luminous background, the meticulous rendering of fabric and jewellery, the steady, unflinching gaze. The starling perches with the symbolic weight that 16th century painters always brought to their avian accessories — a creature associated with eloquence, sociability, and a certain cheerful persistence.

There is, however, one departure from the Holbein canon. Lady Alice is, as the 16th century would have put it, well-favoured in her person. Comfortably so. Contentedly so. In an era when a fuller figure signified prosperity and good living, she would have been entirely unremarkable. In 2025, she feels rather more relatable than most of her Tudor contemporaries.

This is an Elliott Best original — a cheeky, affectionate, and technically accomplished homage to one of history's great portrait traditions, with a sitter who looks rather more like the rest of us.

About This Print

• Elliott Best Original — in the school of Hans Holbein the Younger
• Portrait of Lady Alice of Norwich with starling, c. 16th century style
• A witty and warmly observed take on the Northern Renaissance portrait tradition
• Printed on premium archival museum stock for lasting depth and colour
• Available in three sizes, made to order