Graves International Art - Hans Holbein the Younger

Hans Holbein the Younger (German: c. 1497-1543) was a German-Swiss 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 worked mainly in Basel as a young artist. At first, he painted murals and religious works, and designed stained glass windows and illustrations for books from the printer Johann Froben. 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 traveled to England in 1526 in search of work with a recommendation from Erasmus. He was welcomed into the humanist circle of Thomas More, where he quickly built a high reputation. He returned to Basel for four years, then resumed his career in England in 1532 under the patronage of Anne Boleyn and Thomas Cromwell. By 1535, he was King's Painter to Henry VIII of England. In this role, he produced portraits and festive decorations, as well as designs for jewellery, plate, and other precious objects. His portraits of the royal family and nobles are a record of the court in the years when Henry was asserting his supremacy over the Church of England.

Artist: (after) Hans Holbein the Younger (German-Swiss, c. 1497-1543)
Engraved by: Thomas Cheesman (English, 1760-1834)
Anthony Cardon (the Younger) (Flemish, 1772-1813)
James Anthony Minasi (Italian-English, 1776-1865)
Henry Hoppner Meyer (English, 1780-1847)
Title: "Catherine Howard Queen", "Jane Seymour Queen", "Anna Bollein Queen", and "The Lady Mary after Queen"
Portfolio: Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans Holbein, in the Collection of His Majesty, for the Portraits of Illustrious Persons of the Court of Henry VIII. With Biographical Tracts
Year: 1812 (First quarto edition)
Medium: Set of Four Original Stipple Engravings printed in colors
Limited edition: Unknown
Sheet size (each): approx. 13.75" x 9.88"
Image size (each): approx. 7.25" x 4.75"
Reference: Abbey 205; Brunet III, 260; Lowndes 1381; Lowndes II page 405
Price: $2,000