Hans Holbein the Younger

(German, born circa 1497–1543)

Hans Holbein the Younger was an eminent German painter known for his precisely rendered portraits. Along with his peers Lucas Cranach the Elder and Albrecht Dürer, Holbein’s work represented a high point for Northern Renaissance painting. The artist eloquently combined the nuance of Flemish realism with the rigid structure of Late Gothic stylization. Born c. 1497 in Augsburg, Holy Roman Empire (present-day Germany), he first studied under his father Hans Holbein the Elder, before moving to Basel, Switzerland around 1515. During his time in Basel, he befriended a number of humanist writers and publishers who promoted and commissioned his work. With the Protestant Reformation taking hold of Basel, in 1526, the artist left the city for England. His connections with humanist circles brought him to the attention of the writer and politician Thomas More, who commissioned a portrait of himself. Though he returned to Switzerland periodically, by 1533 Holbein had established himself as the favorite painter of Henry VIII. That same year, he completed his famed double portrait The Ambassadors. During his remaining years in court, he produced around 150 portraits, including those of Henry VIII’s wives Jane Seymour and Anne of Cleves. Holbein died of plague in 1543, in London, United Kingdom. Today, the artist’s works are held in the collections of the Louvre Museum in Paris, the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the National Gallery of Art in London, and the Kunstmuseum Basel, among others.

Hans Holbein the Younger News

Forget Kate Middleton’s Photoshop Blunder: Here Are Other Royals Who Had Their Portraits Edited

by Richard Whiddington

Forget Kate Middleton’s Photoshop Blunder: Here Are Other Royals Who Had Their Portraits Edited

Conservation Work on a 16th-Century Portrait Reveals Hans Holbein’s Cheek-Chiseling Procedure

by Verity Babbs

Conservation Work on a 16th-Century Portrait Reveals Hans Holbein’s Cheek-Chiseling Procedure

Holbein's Portrait of Henry VIII Is the Jewel in the Crown of Tudor England—Here Are 3 Things You Might Not Know About It

by Annikka Olsen

Holbein's Portrait of Henry VIII Is the Jewel in the Crown of Tudor England—Here Are 3 Things You Might Not Know About It

Hans Holbein the Younger Artworks

Hans Holbein the Younger (339 results)

Thomas Godsalve and his Son John, 1528

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Thomas Godsalve and his Son John, 1528

Kunstberatung Zürich

Price on Request

Erasmus of Rotterdam (

Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus of Rotterdam ("im Gehäus"). With—..., 1533

Sale Date: April 18, 2024

Auction Closed

Ritratto di Sir Richard Southwell

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Ritratto di Sir Richard Southwell

Sale Date: February 15, 2024

Auction Closed

Portrait of a falconer, 1542

Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a falconer, 1542

Sale Date: December 7, 2023

Auction Closed

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Cardinal Thomas Wolsey in profile

Sale Date: November 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Ritratto di Sir Richard Southwell

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Ritratto di Sir Richard Southwell

Sale Date: November 9, 2023

Auction Closed

Imagines de Morte, et Epiramata, e Gallico..., 1542

Hans Holbein the Younger

Imagines de Morte, et Epiramata, e Gallico..., 1542

Sale Date: November 1, 2023

Auction Closed

Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes mit Kappe und Schal

Attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes mit Kappe und Schal

Sale Date: September 29, 2023

Auction Closed

Dame mit Federbarett, 1520

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Dame mit Federbarett, 1520

Sale Date: October 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Zwei Holzschnitte aus dem Totentanz

Hans Holbein the Younger

Zwei Holzschnitte aus dem Totentanz

Sale Date: October 4, 2023

Auction Closed

Margaret Roper

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Margaret Roper

Sale Date: September 13, 2023

Auction Closed

Portret van Jane Seymour (1513-1537)

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Portret van Jane Seymour (1513-1537)

Sale Date: February 20, 2023

Auction Closed

JUNGER MANN MIT SCHWARZEM BARETT

Attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger

JUNGER MANN MIT SCHWARZEM BARETT

Sale Date: June 29, 2023

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT DES SIR NICHOLAS CAREW (1496 – 1539)

Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger

PORTRAIT DES SIR NICHOLAS CAREW (1496 – 1539)

Sale Date: March 30, 2023

Auction Closed

Portrait of a young man from the Speth..., 1586

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a young man from the Speth..., 1586

Sale Date: April 4, 2023

Auction Closed

King Henry VIII of England

After Hans Holbein the Younger

King Henry VIII of England

Sale Date: March 5, 2023

Auction Closed

Lady Mary Guildford

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Lady Mary Guildford

Sale Date: January 22, 2023

Auction Closed

Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536),...

Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus (1466-1536),...

Sale Date: December 8, 2022

Auction Closed

Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans , 1792–1800

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Imitations of Original Drawings by Hans , 1792–1800

Sale Date: October 6, 2022

Auction Closed

After Hans Holbein Margaret Roper Oil on Panel, 1535

After Hans Holbein the Younger

After Hans Holbein Margaret Roper Oil on Panel, 1535

Sale Date: July 27, 2022

Auction Closed

Portrait of King Henry VIII (1491-1547),...

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of King Henry VIII (1491-1547),...

Sale Date: March 23, 2022

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Poyntz (1510–1556)..., 1535

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Poyntz (1510–1556)..., 1535

Sale Date: April 1, 2022

Auction Closed

Historiarum veteris testamenti icones ad vivum...

Hans Holbein the Younger

Historiarum veteris testamenti icones ad vivum...

Sale Date: October 15, 2021

Auction Closed

Imitations of Original Drawings in the...

Hans Holbein the Younger

Imitations of Original Drawings in the...

Sale Date: October 15, 2021

Auction Closed

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