Portrait of a woman from southern Germany. - Hans Holbein. Canvas.

Hans Holbein the Younger is a representative painter of the 16th century German Renaissance. He brilliantly combined the realism of the Northern Renaissance with the style of the Italian Renaissance, and is highly regarded for his outstanding skill in portraying not only the external appearance but also the inner self of people, particularly in his portraits.

Hans Holbein the Younger Biography

• Born in Augsburg, Germany in 1497/98, as the son of the painter Hans Holbein the Elder , he learned the basics of painting in his father's workshop.

• He moved to Basel, Switzerland around 1515 and began working as a painter, producing illustrations and portraits for scholars and publications, including the humanist Erasmus.

• In 1526 , to escape the chaos of the Protestant Reformation, he traveled to London for the first time with a letter of introduction from Erasmus, where he painted portraits of influential people in England, including Thomas More.

• In 1528 he returned to Basel, but the religious situation became increasingly difficult, so he returned to London.

• In 1532 he returned to London and painted portraits of German merchants.

• He was appointed chief court painter to King Henry VIII of England around 1536 , and produced many official portraits of the king, his queen, and courtiers.

• He died of the plague in London in 1543 (aged around 45).

Representative works

• The Ambassadors (1533)

• Portrait of Henry VIII (c. 1537)

• Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1523)

• Portrait of Sir Thomas More (1527)

• Dead Christ in the Tomb (1521)

• Woodblock print series "Dance of Death" (c. 1523-26)

Holbein is known for his realistic style, in which he observes his subjects with a cold, objective perspective and depicts them precisely down to the smallest detail. His portraits eloquently convey the personalities and backgrounds of his subjects by meticulously depicting the lavish clothing and jewelry that indicate the model's social status, as well as the various objects in the background. In particular, "The Ambassadors" is imbued with complex allegory, including the skull, which is depicted using anamorphosis, demonstrating his intelligence and high level of skill.

Although he also produced excellent works of religious art, his true worth lies in the numerous portraits he produced as court painter to Henry VIII. These works, which capture the majesty of the king and the humanity of his courtiers as they truly are, are considered to be more than mere documentary works; they are also highly valued as important historical documents of the Tudor period. His objective, calm perspective and outstanding descriptive ability had a great influence on portrait painters of later generations.