ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

AI Facial Recognition Fails to Identify Holbein's Anne Boleyn Drawing, Expert Says

opinion-review · 2026-08-05

Art historian Bendor Grosvenor has criticized a study that employed AI to examine Holbein's drawings of the Tudor court, labeling it as 'a load of phooey.' This research, carried out by Bradford University and published in Heritage Science, utilized facial recognition technology for comparisons. The AI determined that a drawing labeled 'Anna Bollein Queen' lacked sufficient resemblance to Anne Boleyn's relatives, challenging long-held beliefs. Grosvenor pointed out data inaccuracies, highlighting that two portraits of Henry Howard matched only 84.1%. While the Royal Collection expressed interest in further dialogue, they refrained from additional comments. Grosvenor emphasized the importance of public engagement by art historians with such assertions, even as he recognized the future potential of AI.

Key facts

  • Bradford University computer scientists used facial recognition to analyze Holbein's drawings of the Tudor court.
  • The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal Heritage Science.
  • AI concluded that a drawing inscribed 'Anna Bollein Queen' was not sufficiently similar to Anne Boleyn's relatives to be her.
  • Another previously unidentified drawing was deemed to be a possible portrait of Anne Boleyn.
  • Art historian Bendor Grosvenor dismissed the findings as 'a load of phooey'.
  • Grosvenor noted that two Holbein drawings of Henry Howard were only an 84.1% match, suggesting the technology is unreliable.
  • The Anne Boleyn identification relied on a 1.5% difference in likeness scores (75.4% vs 76.9%).
  • The Royal Collection 'welcomed further discussion' but did not comment further.
  • Grosvenor was contacted by the BBC and other news outlets for comment.
  • Grosvenor argues that AI must learn from art historians to properly understand art.

Entities

Artists

  • Hans Holbein
  • William Scrots
  • Anne Boleyn
  • Henry Howard
  • Elizabeth I
  • John Cheke

Institutions

  • Bradford University
  • Heritage Science
  • Royal Collection
  • BBC

Locations

  • United Kingdom

Sources