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Where was Hans Holbein born?
Augsburg, GermanyHans Holbein the Younger / Place of birthHolbein was born in the free imperial city of Augsburg during the winter of 1497–98. He was a son of the painter and draughtsman Hans Holbein the Elder, whose trade he and his older brother, Ambrosius, followed.
What is Hans Holbein best known for?
Holbein was one of the greatest portraitists and most exquisite draftsmen of all time. It is the artist's record of the court of King Henry VIII of England, as well as the taste that he virtually imposed upon that court, that was his most remarkable achievement.
Did Hans Holbein paint Anne Boleyn?
It seems more likely that the finished portrait Holbein painted of Anne Boleyn was destroyed after she was beheaded on May 19, 1536 on false charges of treason, adultery and incest.”
What famous people did Hans Holbein paint?
10 Works By Hans Holbein The Younger You Should KnowThe Body of Christ in the Tomb, 1520-22.Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523.Noli Me Tangere, c. 1524-8.Lais of Corinth, 1526.Portrait of Sir Thomas More, 1527.Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, 1532.The Ambassadors, 1533.An Allegory of the Old and New Testaments, 1533-35.More items...
Where is Holbein in Japan?
Holbein Art Supplies is headquartered in 2-5-5 Kamishio, Chuo-ku, Osaka 542-0064 [Phone (06) 6763-1521 Fax (06) 6763-2758], with an important Tokyo sales office in 2-18-4 Higashiikebukuro , Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 [Phone (03) 5927-1631 Fax (03) 5927-1699], as well as a Hyogo Logistics Center and a Minami Osaka Paper ...
Where can I find Holbein paintings?
National Gallery of ArtWashington, D.C.Royal Collection TrustJ. Paul Getty MuseumLos AngelesThe National GalleryLondonThe Metropolitan Museum of...New YorkFine Arts Museum BaselBaselHans Holbein the Younger/On view
Was Queen Anne Boleyn black or white?
The real Anne Boleyn wasn't Black. But as Anita Singh argues in the Telegraph's review of the miniseries, other adaptations of the Tudor period have taken comparable liberties without attracting the level of ire directed at Turner-Smith.
Did Anne Boleyn have black eyes?
Impartial descriptions of Anne are hard to find: she appears to have had dark hair and eyes and a slender neck, but no contemporary portrait of her has survived, and we know little about her personality.
What was Anne Boleyn last words?
Anne Boleyn's Final Words In 1542 the chronicler, Edward Hall, recounted Anne's final words: “Good Christian people, I have not come here to preach a sermon; I have come here to die. For according to the law and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it.
Who was Hitler's favorite artist?
Hitler's favorite painter was Adolf Ziegler and Hitler owned a number of his works. Landscape painting featured prominently in the Great German Art exhibition.
What was Hitler's favorite piece of art?
Architecture was Hitler's favorite art form. He viewed himself as the "master builder of the Third Reich." Among the surviving examples of Nazi architecture is the Olympic stadium complex in Berlin.
What was Hitler's favorite painting?
One work he long coveted was Johannes Vermeer's "The Astronomer." After the Nazis snatched it, their chief art confiscator, Alfred Rosenberg, sent a triumphant note to Hitler's closest aide to announce the news, which "will I believe bring him great joy," according to Hector Feliciano's 1995 book "The Lost Museum."
What is Hans Holbein style of art?
Northern RenaissanceHans Holbein the Younger / PeriodThe Northern Renaissance was the Renaissance that occurred in Europe north of the Alps. From the last years of the 15th century, its Renaissance spread around Europe. Wikipedia
How did Hans Holbein change the world of art?
Several of his portraits have become cultural icons. He created the standard image of Henry VIII in his time, which has remained so for posterity. Though Holbein painted Henry as an iconic hero, he also subtly conveyed the arrogant and dangerous aspect of his character.
How did Holbein influence art?
Holbein's art is considered realist in that he represented people with detail and precision, and was renowned for creating a true likeness (albeit, perhaps, a flattering one) of his sitters. His portraits are characterized by strong gazes, a diversity of appearance and carefully rendered clothing and accessories.
What type of paintings did Holbein specialize in?
Eloquent Portraits Holbein's formidable skills enabled him to devise specific pictorial solutions for a variety of sitters—from Basel humanists to members of the English court, including prominent women.
Where was Hans Holbein born?
Hans Holbein's home during his time in Basel, Switzerland. Holbein was born in the free imperial city of Augsburg during the winter of 1497–98. He was a son of the painter and draughtsman Hans Holbein the Elder, whose trade he and his older brother, Ambrosius, followed.
How did Hans Holbein die?
Wilson regards the story with caution, since Holbein's friends attended his bedside; and Peter Claussen suggests that he died of an infection.
How did Holbein paint?
In the first, between 1526 and 1528, he used the technique of Jean Clouet for his preliminary studies, combining black and coloured chalks on unprimed paper. In the second, from 1532 to his death, he drew on smaller sheets of pink-primed paper, adding pen and brushwork in ink to the chalk. Judging by the three-hour sitting given to him by Christina of Denmark, Holbein could produce such portrait studies quickly. Some scholars believe that he used a mechanical device to help him trace the contours of his subjects' faces. Holbein paid less attention to facial tones in his later drawings, making fewer and more emphatic strokes, but they are never formulaic. His grasp of spatial relationships ensures that each portrait, however sparely drawn, conveys the sitter's presence.
What was Holbein's major project?
He undertook a number of major projects, such as external murals for The House of the Dance and internal murals for the Council Chamber of the Town Hall. The former are known from preparatory drawings.
What was Holbein's style?
His Late Gothic style was enriched by artistic trends in Italy, France, and the Netherlands, as well as by Renaissance humanism. The result was a combined aesthetic uniquely his own. Holbein travelled to England in 1526 in search of work, with a recommendation from Erasmus.
Where did Holbein the Elder work?
Holbein the Elder ran a large and busy workshop in Augsburg, sometimes assisted by his brother Sigmund, also a painter. By 1515, Hans and Ambrosius had moved as journeymen painters to the city of Basel, a centre of learning and the printing trade. There they were apprenticed to Hans Herbster, Basel's leading painter.
Where is Holbein's triptych?
Paul, which is displayed at the Staatsgalerie in Augsburg.
Where was Hans Holbein born?from en.wikipedia.org
Hans Holbein's home during his time in Basel, Switzerland. Holbein was born in the free imperial city of Augsburg during the winter of 1497–98. He was a son of the painter and draughtsman Hans Holbein the Elder, whose trade he and his older brother, Ambrosius, followed.
How many woodcuts were made in the Holbein series?from en.wikipedia.org
The series was left incomplete by the death of the blockcutter Hans Lützelburger in 1526, and was eventually published with 41 woodcuts by his heirs without mention of Holbein. The ten further designs were added in later editions. ^ Bätschmann & Griener, 56–58, and Landau & Parshall, 216.
What did Holbein learn from his Italian art?from en.wikipedia.org
From the Italians, Holbein learned the art of single-point perspective and the use of antique motifs and architectural forms. In this, he may have been influenced by Andrea Mantegna. The decorative detail recedes in his late portraits, though the calculated precision remains. Despite assimilating Italian techniques and Reformation theology, Holbein's art in many ways extended the Gothic tradition.
What style of painting did Holbein use?from en.wikipedia.org
In this latter painting, Holbein skillfully combined a late medieval German compositional format with precise Flemish realism and a monumental Italian treatment of form. Holbein apparently quite voluntarily gave up almost all religious painting after about 1530.
How many portraits did Holbein paint?from britannica.com
He died in a London plague epidemic in 1543. It is estimated that during the last 10 years of his life Holbein executed approximately 150 portraits, life-size and miniature, of royalty and nobility alike.
What did Holbein's miniature technique derived from?from en.wikipedia.org
His miniature technique derived from the medieval art of manuscript illumination. His small panel portrait of Henry VIII shows an inter-penetration between his panel and miniature painting. Holbein's large pictures had always contained a miniature-like precision. He now adapted this skill to the smaller form, somehow retaining a monumental effect. The twelve or so certain miniatures by Holbein that survive reveal his mastery of "limning", as the technique was called.
What was Holbein's major project?from en.wikipedia.org
He undertook a number of major projects, such as external murals for The House of the Dance and internal murals for the Council Chamber of the Town Hall. The former are known from preparatory drawings.
What did Hans Holbein do?
Holbein painted richly colored religious works. His later paintings show how he pioneered and led the transformation of German art from the (Late) International Gothic to the Renaissance style. In addition to the altar paintings that are his principal works, he also designed church windows and woodcuts. The surviving prints that can be attributed to him are few and a new one has recently been added to the group, an Annunciation to the Virgin in the collection of the Universitätbibliothek in Erlangen. He also made a number of portrait drawings that foreshadow the work of his famous son, Hans Holbein the Younger .
Who was Holbein's father?
He belonged to a celebrated family of painters; his father was Michael Holbein; his brother was Sigmund Holbein (died 1540). He had two sons, both artists and printmakers: Ambrosius Holbein (c. 1494 – c. 1519) and Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497 – 1543), who both had their first painting lessons from their father.
What happened to Holbein in 1516?
After 1516 Holbein was declared a tax defaulter in Augsburg, which forced him to accept commissions abroad. At Issenheim in Alsace, where Matthias Grünewald was employed at the time, Holbein found patrons and was contracted to complete an altarpiece. His brother Sigismund and others sued him in Augsburg for unpaid debts.
What style of art did Holbein paint?
Holbein painted richly colored religious works. His later paintings show how he pioneered and led the transformation of German art from the (Late) International Gothic to the Renaissance style. In addition to the altar paintings that are his principal works, he also designed church windows and woodcuts.
Where is Holbein's altarpiece?
As early as 1493, Holbein had a following, and he worked that year at the abbey at Weingarten, creating the wings of an altarpiece representing Joachim's Offering, the Nativity of the Virgin Mary's Presentation in the Temple, and the Presentation of Christ. Today they hang in separate panels in the cathedral of Augsburg.
Who is Hans the Younger Holbein?
Hans, the Younger Holbein. Hans, the Younger Holbein (c. 1497 - between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a North ern Renaissance style. He is best known for his numerous portraits and his woodcut series of the Dance of Death, and is widely considered one of the finest portraitists ...
Where did Holbein learn to paint?
Holbein was born in Augsburg, and learned how to paint from his father Hans Holbein the Elder. In 1515 he and his brother Ambrosius Holbein went to Basel, where they designed prints, murals and stained glass.
Who was the Dutch humanist who painted the praise of fllies?
During this period, Holbein drew a famous series of pen and ink illustrations in the margins of a book owned by his schoolmaster, The Praise of Folly, by the Dutch humanist Erasmus. Holbein was introduced to Erasmus, and later painted three portraits of him. Click here for more. ×. Report an error on this page.
Who is Hans Holbein?
Hans Holbein the Younger (German: Hans Holbein der Jüngere) (c. 1497 – between 7 October and 29 November 1543) was a German artist and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style . He is best known as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century.
Where was Holbein born?
Holbein was born in the free imperial city of Augsburg during the winter of 1497–98. He was a son of the painter and draughtsman Hans Holbein the Elder, whose trade he and his older brother, Ambrosius, followed.
Why is Holbein called the Younger?
He is called "the Younger" to distinguish him from his father, Hans Holbein the Elder, an accomplished painter of the Late Gothic school. Born in Augsburg, Holbein worked mainly in Basel as a young artist.
What was Holbein's style?
His Late Gothic style was enriched by artistic trends in Italy, France and the Netherlands, as well as by Renaissance humanism. The result was a combined aesthetic uniquely his own. Holbein travelled to England in 1526 in search of work, with a recommendation from Erasmus.
Who dubbed Holbein the Apelles of our time?
Holbein's art was prized from early in his career. The French poet and reformer Nicholas Bourbon dubbed him "the Apelles of our time," a typical contemporary accolade.
Was Holbein a one off?
Holbein has also been described as a great "one-off" of art history, since he founded no school. After his death, some of his work was lost, but much was collected, and by the 19th century, Holbein was recognised among the great portrait masters. Recent exhibitions have also highlighted his versatility.
What is Holbein's art?
Holbein's art is considered realist in that he represented people with detail and precision, and was renowned for creating a true likeness (albeit, perhaps, a flattering one) of his sitters. His portraits are characterized by strong gazes, a diversity of appearance and carefully rendered clothing and accessories. Despite the meticulous nature of his portrayals, however, the images are often inscrutable, revealing little of the character of the sitter.
What were Holbein's most famous images?
Holbein's most famous images are those he painted of the English royal court and particularly of Henry VIII. These were created and utilized as propaganda to convey authority, masculinity, wealth, succession, and the divine right of royalty to rule to a wider audience. This was particularly important in a period of religious turmoil such as the Reformation.
Who was the most famous artist of the sixteenth century?
One of the greatest portraitists of the sixteenth century, Holbein painted the English ruling elite, producing images that came to define their public personas, both in their own time and in later centuries. Beyond portraiture, Holbein was also a very versatile artist who turned his hand to religious paintings, frescoes, jewelry and clothing design, and book illustrations throughout his lifetime. Predominantly linked to the Northern Renaissance, Holbein also incorporated elements and ideas from the Italian Renaissance into his work to create sumptuous and detailed images with their own unique appearance. Holbein is particularly well known for his mastery of light and texture, and his exquisite portrayals of fabric, fur, and glass are a testament to his skill.
Did Holbein paint the king's family?
Although he painted many prospective brides whilst holding his position as court painter, Holbein only occasionally painted the king's family. Works such as this one, therefore, play an important part in informing our knowledge of the Tudor royal family, but such presentations must also be regarded with a critical eye. The image of Edward as a robust baby is in contrast to the prevailing view that he was frail and sickly. Langdon says that "this portrait is imbued with sad irony: this apparently healthy child would die of tuberculosis at sixteen." This illustrates the power of Holbein's images in creating and propagating a particularly narrative, often at odds with reality.
How old was Holbein when he died?
Holbein passed away sometime between 7 October and 29 November 1543. He was 45 years old at the time. In the early 17th century, Karel van Mander wrote that Holbein had been a victim of the plague. However, this statement has been regarded with scepticism by some historians, as his friends were present at his bedside at the time of his death. Peter Claussen proposes that the cause of Holbien’s death was an infection.
What was Holbein's career?
The work that Holbein did between 1515 and 1525 is highly diverse, and to a certain extent, inspired by the works of other artists. His travels to Italy in 1517 and France in 1524 helped him form his religious and artistic beliefs.
What was Holbein known for?
Known for his Northern Renaissance style, Holbein is widely regarded as one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He had also done religious art, satire, and Reformation propaganda and prolifically contributed to the history of book design. Originally from Augsburg, he was predominantly active in Basel as a young artist.
How many portraits did Holbein make?
In the final ten years of his life, Holbein produced about 150 portraits, life-size and miniature, of both royalty and nobility. These portraits depict a variety of subjects, including an astounding series showing German merchants doing business in London, a double portrait of the French ambassadors serving in Henry VIII’s court (1533), and portraits of the king himself (1536) and his wives Jane Seymour (1536) and Anne of Cleves (1539).
What was Holbein's most famous work?
His most popular work during this era is ‘Dance of Death ’, a series of 41 scenes displaying “Death” intruding the everyday lives of people from various levels of society. Although Holbein drew them, they were cut by a different artist likely between 1523 and 1526. However, its publication did not happen until 1538.
How many children did Holbein have?
According to his will, he fathered two children in England. The identity of their mother (s) is not known. Holbein’s unfaithfulness was not likely limited to his time in England. According to some scholars, Magdalena Offenburg, who modelled for ‘Darmstadt Madonna’ and two other portraits produced in Basel, was one of Holbein’s mistresses.
Where did Holbein live?
Holbein spent about three years in England before returning to Basel in 1528. He lived there for the ensuing four years, going back to England in 1532. Purchasing a house in Basel, in St Johanns-Vorstadt, he came back supposedly to keep his citizenship. In 1531, he purchased a second house.
What is Hans Holbein's legacy?
A large part of Hans Holbein’s legacy can be attributed to the fame of the figures that he painted. From Erasmus to Henry VIII, his sitters counted among the world’s most important people. Their images would always continue to attract interest and curiosity throughout the centuries. His mastery of such a wide variety of media and techniques also ensured that he was remembered as a unique artist. He not only created incredibly lifelike portraits, but also produced highly influential prints, striking devotional masterpieces, and some of the most admired armour of the day.
Who did Holbein work for?
He worked directly for the infamous second wife of Henry VIII, Anne Boleyn, designing jewellery, decorative plates and cups for her collection of trinkets.
How long did Holbein stay in Basel?
After 4 years in Basel, Holbein returned to England in 1532 and would stay there until his death in 1543. Many of his masterpieces were produced during this final period of his life, and he was given the official position of the King’s Painter, which paid 30 pounds a year. This meant that Holbein could rely on the financial and social support of one of the world’s most powerful men, as long as he continued to produce fantastic artwork.
What did Holbein learn from?
Holbein is also known to have learned new methods from other foreign artists. From French painter Jean Clouet, for instance, he picked up the technique of using coloured chalks for his sketches. In England, he learnt how to produce the valuable illuminated manuscripts that were used as a symbol of wealth, status and piety.
Why did Holbein travel to Europe?
From Holbein’s later work, however, scholars assume that he must have travelled across Europe during his Basel years, due to the presence of unmistakably Italian elements in his artwork. Notably, he began to produce both scenic views and portraits, such as Venus and Amor, that showed a new understanding of perspective and proportion. While Venus’ face retains elements of the Northern European style, her body, pose and the posture of the small cupid are all reminiscent of the Italian masters.
What is the most striking sign of Holbein?
The most striking sign, however, is undoubtedly the distorted skull that dominates the lower foreground. From straight on, the rough outline of the skull can just about be perceived, but by moving to the left, the full form becomes clear. Holbein thus harnesses his command of perspective to mirror the mysterious but undeniable nature of mortality.
What are Holbein's designs?
Many of Holbein’s designs used traditional motifs seen in metalwork for centuries, such as foliage and flowers. As he gained experience he began to branch out into ever more elaborate images, such as mermaids and mermen, which became a hallmark of his work.
Who Was Hans Holbein the Younger?
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German artist who was born in Augsburg. His date of birth was approximately around 1497 to 1498. He was born into an artistic family; his father was Hans Holbein the Elder, who was a painter whose art has been characterized as Late Gothic.
The Ambassadors (1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger in Context
The Ambassadors painting by Hans Holbein the Younger also goes by the title of Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve, who are the sitters in the composition. This may appear as a simple portrait painting of two men, but upon closer inspection, there is a wealth of symbols in the subject matter.
Formal Analysis: A Brief Compositional Overview
In Hans Holbein’s The Ambassadors, there is a significant amount of detail. This was a common trait of Northern Renaissance art, also described as “naturalism”. Below we will provide a visual description of the subject matter, all of which have also been found to be symbolic of the Catholic Church and King Henry VIII’s break from it.
Hans Holbein: The Ambassadors Symbolism
Possibly one of the most important aspects of The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein is the symbolism related to all the above-mentioned objects. Each object is believed to portray various socio-economic, political, and religious aspects related to two figures and the events that surrounded them at the time.
The Ambassadors: More Than Meets the Eye
There is more than meets the eye in The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein, it is a visual story that sparks the ideals of life and death depicting wealth and religion in the 16 th century in England and the country’s role in the rest of Europe, as well as the transiency of life that we are always faced with.

Overview
Hans Holbein the Younger was a German-Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style, and is considered one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century. He also produced religious art, satire, and Reformation propaganda, and he made a significant contribution to the history of book design. He is called "the Younger" to distinguish him from his father Ha…
Biography
Holbein was born in the free imperial city of Augsburg during the winter of 1497–98. He was a son of the painter and draughtsman Hans Holbein the Elder, whose trade he and his older brother, Ambrosius, followed. Holbein the Elder ran a large and busy workshop in Augsburg, sometimes assisted by his brother Sigmund, also a painter.
Art
The first influence on Holbein was his father, Hans Holbein the Elder, an accomplished religious artist and portraitist who passed on his techniques as a religious artist and his gifts as a portraitist to his son. The young Holbein learned his craft in his father's workshop in Augsburg, a city with a thriving book trade, where woodcut and engraving flourished. Augsburg also acted as one of t…
Legacy and reputation
Holbein's fame owes something to that of his sitters. Several of his portraits have become cultural icons. He created the standard image of Henry VIII. In painting Henry as an iconic hero, however, he also subtly conveyed the tyranny of his character. Holbein's portraits of other historical figures, such as Erasmus, Thomas More, and Thomas Cromwell, have fixed their images for posterity. Th…
Gallery
• Hans Holbein's witty marginal drawing of Folly (1515), in the first edition, a copy owned by Erasmus himself (Kupferstichkabinett, Basel)
• The Humiliation of the Emperor Valerian by the Persian King Shapur, c. 1521. Pen and black ink on chalk sketch, gray wash and watercolour, Kunstmuseum Basel
Further reading
• Hervey, Mary F.S. Holbein's "Ambassadors": The Picture and the Men. An Historical Study. London: George Bell & Sons, 1900.
• Mantel, Hilary, and Salomon, Xavier F. Holbein's Sir Thomas More. New York: The Frick Collection, 2018.
• Moyle, Franny. The King's Painter: The Life and Times of Hans Holbein. London: Apollo (Head of Zeus), 2021; New York: Abrams Press, 2021.
External links
• Works by Hans Holbein at Project Gutenberg
• Works by or about Hans Holbein at Internet Archive
• A list of museums featuring the artist
• 2006 exhibition on Holbein in England at Tate Britain Archived 12 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine