The pioneer of contouring? X-rays reveal how Hans Holbein altered a painting to give a ‘chubby’ client more chiselled cheeks

Kim Kardashian is famous for her makeup tricks to contour the face.

But it turns out that the original pioneer of the technique may have actually been a 16th-century artist famous for painting royalty and nobility in the court of Henry VIII.

This is because the restoration work revealed that Hans Holbein changed the “chubby” appearance of one of his subjects by making her appear more slender and sculpted.

X-rays and infrared scans showed that the artist improved German dealer Derich Born’s jaw with each layer of paint.

Experts have no idea whether Bourne requested his face be changed in this way or Holbein chose to do it himself, because there is no documentation of the painting process.

Zoomed in: X-rays and infrared scans showed that the artist improved German dealer Derich Born’s jaw with each layer of paint

Nicola Christie, head of conservation at the Royal Collection Trust, said high-resolution artistic photography by the Getty Conservation Institute allowed experts to “study Holbein’s underdrawing in closer detail than ever before, revealing the different weight and quality of each refining line.” The contour of Dierich Born’s face.

She added: “We can clearly see that Holbein continued to perfect the cheek and jawline in two layers of azure blue background until he – and perhaps Derich as well – was finally satisfied with the resemblance.”

“The slightly chubby young man appears on the X-ray like the young man with the chisel jaw in the painting.”

The Bourne portrait is among more than 50 works by Holbein – including paintings by Sir Thomas More and Jane Seymour – which are on display in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace, from today.

Holbein first came to England in 1526 and was appointed King’s Painter with an annual salary of £30 during the most turbulent period of Henry’s reign.

This was a modest salary for a man of his ability even taking inflation into account – the equivalent of around £21,000 today.

He is particularly known for painting the magnificent portrait of the German Princess Anne of Clive, which prompted Henry VIII to make her his fourth wife.

Unfortunately, when his mail-order bride appeared in the flesh, the king was said to be disappointed that she was “not as beautiful as she had been reported to be,” and her looks were unable to inspire him to consummate their marriage.

Holbein also painted and painted three of Henry’s other wives – Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour and Catherine Howard – as well as his future heir Edward VI.

Edward’s successor, Mary I, also appears in the exhibition in a half-length sketch by Holbein, showing the princess wearing a fashionable English bonnet as well as a necklace and necklace.

Experts have no idea whether Bourne requested his face be changed in this way or Holbein chose to do it himself, because there is no documentation of the painting process.

This closer to the Bourne painting reveals how his jaw has become more chiseled than in reality above

Nicola Christie, head of conservation at the Royal Collection Trust, said high-resolution artistic photography by the Getty Conservation Institute allowed experts to “study Holbein’s underdrawing in closer detail than ever before, revealing the different weight and quality of each refining line.” Derich Born’s facial contour

Kim Kardashian is known for her makeup tricks to contour the face (pictured). But it turns out that the original pioneer of the technique may have actually been 16th-century artist Hans Holbein

Meanwhile, Bourne was a steel merchant based in London who supplied armor to Henry VIII.

The German’s portrait was painted by Holbein in 1533 and included the inscription: ‘If you add a voice, it will be Derich (Born) himself. “You would have no doubt whether it was the painter or his father who made it.”

Not only did the restoration work reveal that this was not the case, but it also led to another discovery.

Removing old varnish and excess paint revealed a clear thumbprint – which experts say may have been Holbein’s – on the left edge of the painting, suggesting that the paint may have taken longer to dry than he expected.

Holbein painted many of Henry’s senior courtiers including Sir Thomas More, who commissioned the artist to paint a family group of More with his wife and children.

The statesman became Holbein’s first English patron thanks to a letter of introduction from the Dutch humanist scholar Erasmus.

Holbein also painted and illustrated three of Henry’s other wives, including Anne Boleyn (pictured).

Holbein painted Henry’s third wife, Jane Seymour, but this time he failed to flatter the sitter, giving her a primal expression and a “proud and haughty” look.

Another Holbein miniature is believed to be of Henry VIII’s fifth wife, Katherine Howard

Other Tudor courtiers featured in the exhibition include the powerful nobleman Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk (1473-1554), uncle of both Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard, Henry’s fifth wife.

He was Prince Edward’s godfather and married his daughter Mary to Henry’s illegitimate son Henry Fitzroy, Duke of Richmond. His son and heir was Henry Howard, Earl of Surrey. Father and son were arrested on charges of conspiring to seize control of the country during Henry VIII’s final illness.

Unfortunately for Surrey, the king was well enough to sign the death warrant and the earl was executed on 19 January 1547, nine days before his king’s death.

Kate Hurd, Holbein’s curator at the Tudor court, said: “Holbein’s unparalleled ability to capture the essence of his subjects remains astonishing almost 500 years later.”

“These drawings cannot be displayed permanently for conservation reasons, so this is an exceptional opportunity for visitors to see for themselves the remarkable skill that made Holbein one of the greatest painters who ever lived.”

• Holbein in the Tudor Court is in the Queen’s Gallery at Buckingham Palace as of today

Henry VIII: The tyrannical king who broke with Rome and changed the course of England’s cultural history

King Henry VIII, circa 1537, aged 45

Henry VIII was a tyrannical king who broke with Rome and changed the course of England’s cultural history.

His predecessors had tried and failed to invade France, and even Henry himself had made two costly but unsuccessful attempts.

He was known to self-medicate, even going so far as to make his own medications.

A prescription record for treating ulcers in the British Museum states: “An ointment devised by His Majesty, made at Westminster, and invented at Greenwich, to remove infections and stop the healing of ulcers, called gray plaster.”

King was also a musician and composer, owning 78 flutes, 78 tape recorders, and five bagpipes, and Jethro Tull has since covered his songs.

He died in debt, having lived such a lavish lifestyle that he spent far more than his taxes would earn him.

He had the largest textile collection ever documented, and 6,500 pistols.

While most photographs show him as a slight man, later in life he was quite large, with one observer describing him as an “absolute monster”.