Holbein

Holbein refers primarily to Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497/1498–1543), a German-born painter and printmaker of the Northern Renaissance. He is regarded as one of the most accomplished portraitists of his era and a leading figure in German and English art of the 16th century. He was the son of the painter Hans Holbein the Elder, and the Holbein family produced several generations of artists.

Life and works: Born in Augsburg, Holbein trained with his father and later worked in Basel, where he produced altarpieces, religious scenes, and a famous cycle of woodcuts known as The Dance of Death, which helped establish his early reputation. In Basel he also drew the attention of humanist circles and patrons abroad.

In the 1520s he undertook commissions in England and in 1532 became court painter to King Henry VIII, a position he held until his death. His portraits are celebrated for their precise observation of physiognomy, texture, and clothing, as well as for psychological insight and formal clarity. Notable works from this period include portraits of Erasmus, Sir Thomas More, and Henry VIII; and the double-portrait The Ambassadors (1533), noted for its complex iconography and use of perspective.

Legacy: Holbein's meticulous realism and ability to render materials, such as fabrics and jewelry, influenced English portraiture and Northern Renaissance painting. His drawings and preparatory studies contributed to his finished works and to printmaking. His death in London in 1543 cut short a prolific career, but his reputation persisted and his portraits remain central to studies of 16th-century portraiture.