The Story of Tudor Art: A History of Tudor England Through its Art and Objects

by Christina J Faraday

A TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR

A unique, illustrated history of Tudor England told through its art and artefacts.

The Tudor dynasty (1485–1603) gave England five monarchs and an age of relentless power plays, scandal, and transformation. Thanks to artists like Hans Holbein the Younger, we feel we have a definite idea of the characters of these famous kings and the miserly Henry VII, the six-times married tyrant Henry VIII, the boy king Edward VI, the devout matriarch Mary I and the virgin queen Elizabeth I. Yet, iconic as they are, when it comes to Tudor art, portraits – and rulers – are far from the whole story.

In the sixteenth century, images and objects took on powerful new roles, as more people than ever before used them to shape their worlds. Monarchs, archbishops and courtiers continued to commission artworks in a variety of media, to convey messages and create a record of themselves as office-holders and individuals. But in this period, the 'middling sort', professional men and women, were also gaining status, wealth and influence. They wanted to promote themselves too, and used art and a dazzling array of objects to do so.

In this unique and beautiful book, Christina Faraday uses art – paintings, sculpture, prints, tapestries, embroideries, clothes, jewels and household objects – to investigate every facet of the period. Beside dissecting familiar portraits of Tudor kings, queens and nobles, Faraday casts a forensic eye across a dynamic array of artefacts, giving the reader a vivid and detailed feel for the political, social, economic and cultural texture of sixteenth-century England.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Tudor Period, Art History

415 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 25, 2025

Reviews

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks so much to NetGalley for the free Kindle book. My review is voluntarily given, and my opinions are my own.

This is an amazing book filled with the most gorgeous photos of art from the Tudor period, along with tons of information about it. Not only are there tons of photos, but they are all in full color, which really makes all the difference.

I had the hardest time reading this book because the online formatting was so horrible. Hopefully the publishers will find a way to fix that before publication date. It was so awful that I didn't read the entire book even though I wanted. I tried Kindle and the NetGalley app. The formatting on the Kobo app is somewhat better; I could at least load the pages, but it took an extra 5 to 10 seconds to get to the next page (versus 30 seconds to reformat each page on Kindle). It was just too much to read all of it. What I did was amazing. Just couldn't handle all the formatting issues.

5 star for the book. Negative one million for the Kindle format until it get fixed.


Would recommend this for sure!

[Anne Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

When we think about Tudor art we automatically think portraits. It's only recently that I've started to read about Elizabethan architecture and tapestries and I definitely wanted to read more. Christina Faraday's book took these topics- and so much more!- and put them in fantastic context.

Well-researched and well-written, this book touched on everything from tapestries and paintings to the beginnings of importing Chinese ceramics vs English pottery. How did art change from Henry VII to the end of Elizabeth I's reign? Why? The global movements and context for art, artists, patrons, and collectors created changes in types of art, symbolism, and so much more. The scope of the book means that Faraday isn't able to get into deep dives on every single type of art for every decade of the Tudor dynasty but her broad strokes and quick dives to give us illustrative examples are incredibly helpful to understanding the progression of art over time. Set up by monarch it is easy to see the progression of different types of art or symbols over time, why certain things were done or stopped being done.

If you're interested in Tudor history, art history, or both, Faraday's The Story of Tudor Art is an absolute must read!

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

[Acantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

An ambitious book showcasing the art of Tudor England, the way it grew and was inspired by outward factors.

This book was a triumph, looking at so many pieces of art that have survived to modern times. It covers all manner of art, from paintings to tapestry, to stonework.

In a way however, it is let down by the sheer scope of the work. To cover the whole Tudor period, five Kings & Queens, the consorts, the Mother of the King, all the nobles, middling sort and slaves who were brought from the New World is a huge undertaking. It is impossible to cover everything and some surprising elements have been missed (nothing about the Paradise chamber?). Every time the book starts to really get into a fascinating piece of art, it has to pull away again because there is still so much else to consider. Honestly, each chapter was worthy of being a book itself, which is in no way a bad thing.

Simply, I want more from this author, this topic, I want to learn more about each ruler and the art they surrounded themselves with.

This book was utterly enthralling with some stunning pieces.

~Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in return for an honest review~

[claudesbookcase · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this arc!!
Many years ago I went to college for art history and this took me right back. I really loved this rare focus on Tudor dynasty art and how it shifted from monarch to monarch, both in religious and courtly art, as well as secular objects. Some of the photos wouldn’t load unfortunately but they were easy enough to google. The book has a good selection of objects (oil, tapestry, miniature, furniture). While deep enough for someone with education in art history, I think people just interested in British monarchy/the tudors would still enjoy this.
5 stars!!

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully laid book showing how the Tudors used art throughout their reigns.

Easy to read, very informative and a nice selection of pictures to compliment the text

Thank you to Netgalley & Head of Zeus for providing me with an advanced review copy for free. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all opinions are my own.

[Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and interesting way to look at and learn about the Tudor period.

[Kristin]

I would like to thank Netgalley and head of Zeus for a free copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Not what I was looking for.

[Gabe Amideus]

I find this topic interesting.