Hans Holbein the Younger
1497-1543
One of the Greatest Painters Of All Time
Bavarian Northern Renaissance Portrait Painter to the Tudors
Artistically and stylistically influenced by the following painters; Dieric Bouts, Jan van Eyck, Hans Memling and Quentin Metsys
Education - apprenticed to his father Hans
Holbein the Elder
Medium - Oil on wood
Cause of Death - Black Death (plague)
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One of the worlds most innovative and accomplished painters, a Holbein portrait is instantly recognizable. He created dazzling narratives with the vision of a thoroughly Renaissance mind. His paintings are truly masterpieces made with both skillfulness and imagination.
Holbein was born in the
bustling burg of Augsburg,
Bavaria. He grew up in his
famous fathers studio, Hans
Holbein the Elder. While
still a young child he
learned painting and drawing
techniques usually reserved
for adults. Holbein left
Austria for England and
became the most well-known
of the Tudor court painters, enjoying courtly
life and all the sumptuous
trappings. He was
well-suited for life at the
English court with his
intellect and knowledge of
art, music and literature. Holbein,
like King Henry, was known
for his
roguish behavior and violent
drunken sprees. The two got
along well with periodic
fallings out. One such
disagreement was over
Holbein's portrait of Anne
of Cleves. In 1539 the
artist was sent to the court
of the Duke of Cleves, to
paint Anne. The king
criticized the Holbein for
making the portrait much too
flattering and was
disappointed when he met
Anne in person.
.Holbein was steeped in palace intrigue and was known as a shrewd social climber. According to his biographer, Mary Schell Hoke Bacon "Meantime, Sir Thomas More had fallen into disfavor with the King and was to lose his head, but it is written that the artist's portraits "betray nothing of this tragedy." He was as ready to climb to fame by the favor of his generous patron's enemies as he had been to accept the offices of Sir Thomas More. He painted the portraits of several of the wives of Henry VIII., and it may be said that there was a good deal of that monarch's temperament to be found in Holbein himself. Take him all in all, Hans was as detestable as a man as he was excellent as a painter."
Holbein painted nearly all of the kings wives as well as his ministers. His greatest masterpiece He was not much of a family man. According to his biographer, Mary Schell Hoke Bacon, "Holbein married and beat his wife; had several children and took care of none of them. His wife grew to look old and worn while he remained a gay looking sport, quite tired of one whom he had had on his hands for ten years. He wandered everywhere and left his family to shift for itself."
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