Dr. Adam Busiakiewicz, an art consultant and historian, made a remarkable discovery while scrolling through social media. He spotted a portrait of Henry VIII in the background of a post from the UK, which was taken in the judge’s room of the Shire Court in Warwickshire, England during a social event hosted by the Lord Lieutenant of Warwickshire.

The portrait depicted Henry VIII holding a sword and adorned in golden chains with an arched top, leading Dr. Busiakiewicz to believe that it was part of an ancient set of portraits featuring European royals such as Richard III and Catherine de Medici. The painting is thought to have been created by an anonymous artist known as the Sheldon Master, whose works were incorporated into an architectural frieze at Ralph Sheldon’s estate, Weston House.

After examining the work personally in Warwickshire, Dr. Busiakiewicz confirmed that the portrait was indeed done by a skilled artist and matched other known paintings from the set in size. However, the painting’s provenance remains largely unknown, with its last documented location being an auction purchase in 1901 before being acquired by Warwickshire from the University of Cambridge. The true identity of the painting was not suspected at either time.

Speaking to CNN’s Lianne Kolirin about his discovery, Dr. Busiakiewicz highlighted the power of social media: “Some people use it to watch cat videos and follow what’s going on in the world, and then people like me just look at what people have hanging on their walls.”

In conversation with Jack Blackburn of The London Times, he further elaborated on why this discovery is significant: “The Sheldon set is important because it was probably the grandest. They are much larger than the standard corridor set. They are also, I think, much higher quality.”

Warwickshire City Council expressed gratitude to Dr. Busiakiewicz and Aaron Manning for their expertise, which led to the identification of this piece connected to Ralph Sheldon. The council looks forward to working with art historians and experts to further explore the painting’s history and significance.

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Source: Good News Network