Paintings by Hans Holbein the Younger

Hans Holbein Portrait Sale >>

Oil Painting Supplies of 350 Famous Painters * Oil Painting Supplies of 150 Styles

Knowledge: Oil Painting * Acrylic Painting * Watercolor Painting * Gouache Painting * Asian Ink Art
Pastel Painting * Charcoal Drawing * Pencil Sketch * Wax Crayon Painting

Toperfect supply oil painting masterpiece reproductions of the old master Hans Holbein the Younger, You are welcome to send us your own pictures to copy as museum quality oil painting on canvas.

The copyright of scripts in this website is owned by Toperfect. Toperfect reserves the manual scripts of original version. Toperfect will take appropriate legal action in the piracy and infringements of copyright.

Hans Holbein the Younger Biography

German Northern Renaissance painter, printmaker, designer and draftsman
born circa 1497 - died 1543

Brother of: Ambrosius Holbein (c.1494-c.1520).
Son of: Hans Holbein the Elder (c.1465-1524).
Collaborated with: Nicolaus Kratzer.
Nephew of: Sigmund Holbein (-1540).
Employer of: Hans Lützelburger (-before 1526) in 1523

Hans Holbein the Elder (1465?-1524), born in Augsburg, Bavaria, like his brother Sigmund, painted richly colored religious paintings in the late Gothic style. In addition to the altar works that are his principal works, he designed church windows and also made a number of Holbein portrait drawings that foreshadow the painting of his famous son. Later art show the transition from the late Gothic to the Renaissance style. He died in Isenheim, Alsace.

Hans received his first lessons in art from his father. In 1515 the younger Holbein went to Basel, Switzerland, with his brother, Ambrosius. Among the many scholars living in Basel at that time was the famous Dutch humanist Erasmus, who befriended the young artist and asked him to illustrate his satire, Encomium Moriae (The Praise of Folly). Holbein also illustrated other books, including Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible. In addition painted pictures and Hans Holbein portraits and, like his father, designed stained-glass windows. The Younger also created designs for a series of 41 woodcuts called The Dance of Death.

About 1525 the factional strife that accompanied the Reformation made Basel a difficult place for an artist to work. In 1526 Holbein, carrying a letter of introduction from Erasmus to the English statesman and author Sir Thomas More, set out for London. Hans Holbein the Younger met with a favorable reception in England and stayed there for two years. In 1528 Holbein The Younger returned to Basel, where painted portraits and murals for the town hall. In 1532 the Northern Renaissance artist left his wife and children there and traveled once again to London.

In England, where he became court painter to Henry VIII, Holbein was known chiefly as a painter of Holbein portrait. His services were much in demand. The more than 100 miniature and full-size portraits Hans Holbein the Younger completed at Henry's court provide a remarkable document of that colorful period. An old account of his services at court relates that Hans Holbein painted the portrait of the king, "life size, so well that everyone who looks is astonished, since it seems to live as if it moved its head and limbs." In spite of their richness of detail, Hans Holbein portraits provide remarkably little insight into the personality and character of the people he painted.

Holbein also found time to perform numerous services for Henry. The Northern Renaissance painter designed the king's state robes and made drawings that were the basis of all kinds of items used by the royal household, from buttons to bridles to bookbindings. In 1539, when Henry was thinking of marrying Anne of Cleves, he sent Holbein to paint her portrait. In 1543 Holbein was in London working on another portrait painting of the king when Hans Holbein the Younger died, a victim of the plague.