Hans Holbein the Younger was a German 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 Hans Holbein the Elder, an accomplished painter of the Late Gothic school.
Holbein was born in Augsburg, but he worked mainly in Basel as a young artist. At first, he painted murals and religious works, designed stained glass windows, and printed books. He also painted an occasional portrait, making his international mark with portraits of humanist Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam. When the Reformation reached Basel, Holbein worked for reformist clients while continuing to serve traditional religious patrons. 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.
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The Ambassadors (1533)
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The Ambassadors (Holbein) - WikipediaPortrait of Henry VIII (1537)
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Portrait of Henry VIII, c.1537 - Hans Holbein the Younger - WikiArt.orgBetrothal portrait of Anne of Cleves
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Betrothal portrait of Anne of Cleves - WikidataThe Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb (1522)
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The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb - WikidataPortrait of Sir Thomas More (1527)
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Portrait of Sir Thomas More - WikidataPortrait of a Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (1527)
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A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (Anne Lovell?) - WikidataPortrait of Anne of Cleves (1539)
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Portrait of Anne of Cleves, 1539 - Hans Holbein the Younger ...Darmstadt Madonna (1528)
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Darmstadt Madonna - WikidataPortrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1523)
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Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523 - Hans Holbein the Younger ...Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Katherine Howard
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Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Katherine Howard - Wikidata
