Henry VIII separated the English church from the Roman Catholic church and made himself the head of the new Church of England in 1534. During the 16th and 17th centuries, England experienced major changes in its monarchy and religion. Portraiture became an important art form as artists like Hans Holbein the Younger, Nicholas Hilliard, and later Anthony van Dyck painted portraits of royalty and nobility to depict and promote the current rulers and establish England's cultural identity.