Hans Holbein The Younger
Biography and Paintings of German Portrait Painter During the Northern Renaissance Period.
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Hans Holbein (c.1497–1543)

German artist Hans Holbein the Younger is considered one of the great Old Masters and one of the finest portrait painters of the Northern Renaissance period. He painted merchants, noblemen, church dignitaries, kings and scholars. He spent several years in England and painted his most famous works during this time, including a portrait of King Henry VIII, c.1540 (Gallerie Nazionale d'Arte Antica, Rome) and The Ambassadors, 1533 (National Gallery, London).

He was also highly skilled in printmaking and his woodcut series the Dance of Death is widely acknowledged as one of the finest examples of portrait art of the 16th Century.

Born in Augsburg, Bavaria, Holbein learned fine art painting in his father's workshop. His father Hans Holbein the Elder, was a well-known artist and etcher.

In 1515, Holbein moved to Basel, Switzerland, where he worked on portraits and house decorations. During this time he met the Dutch humanist and theologian Desiderius Erasmus. Humanists viewed the world scientifically and placed importance on recognising the unique characteristics of individual human beings. The young Holbein was impressed by the concept and where possible tried to capture the individual qualities of his subjects, in as much detail as possible.

At the age of 29, Holbein moved to England for two years. It was there that he met the famous statesman Sir Thomas More and he went on to receive several commissions to paint his family. Holbein’s reputation grew quickly as people marvelled at his ability to capture such an exact likeness. He returned to England a few years later, and this time became court painter and fashion designer to Henry VIII (he designed the King's robes, buttons, buckles and pageant weapons). The King also sent Holbein to foreign courts to paint portraits of possible candidates for marriage.

In 1533 the French Ambassador to England commissioned The Ambassadors, a double portrait of himself and the Bishop Georges de Selve. In the foreground of the painting there is strange object that cannot be identified when viewed from the front. In fact, it is only when viewed from a certain angle, that the image becomes apparent: that of a grinning skull. This trick of showing objects in a distorted form is called anamorphosis, from the Greek word for 'transformation'. Leonardo da Vinci had recommended this technique to artists who wished to demonstrate their mastery of perspective.

Holbein also completed an oil painting of Anne Boleyn, wife to Henry VIII, but it was believed this portrait was destroyed when she was beheaded. He also went on to paint the King's third wife, Jane Seymour, 1537 (Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna) and Anne of Cleves, c.1539 (Louvre, Paris). By this stage he was one of the best known Northern Renaissance artists.

Other important works include: The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb, 1521 (Kunstmuseum Basel); Portrait of Erasmus, 1523 (Louvre, Paris); Portrait of Sir Thomas More, 1527 (The Frick Collection, New York); Portrait of Lady Guildford, 1527 (City Art Museum, St. Louis); The Artist's Family, 1528 (Kunstmuseum Basel); Portrait of Sir Richard Southwell, 1536 (Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence); Portrait of Christina of Denmark, 1538 (National Gallery, London); Portrait of Edward, Prince of Wales, c.1539 (The National Gallery of Art, Washington DC) and Portrait of an Old Man (Museo del Prado, Madrid).

His ability to capture such an accurate likeness of his subjects led the modern artist David Hockney to speculate that perhaps Holbein had used a concave mirror to project the image of his subject onto his drawing surface, and then traced the image. Art historians have not accepted this thesis.

Holbein died in London in 1543, while he was working on another portrait of Henry VIII. It is supposed he died of the plaque. He was only about 46 years old. One of the most influential figures in the history of art in Germany, Holbein influenced generations of later portraitists, including Diego Velazquez, Rembrandt and Jan Vermeer.

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