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

Art History

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
Art History

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
Art History

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

Artworks for Sale &
Auction Results

Hans Holbein the Younger (339 results)
Portrait of Henry VIII

Style of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Henry VIII

Sale Date: November 19, 2021

Auction Closed

Erasmus von Rotterdam, 1538

Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus von Rotterdam, 1538

Sale Date: December 1, 2021

Auction Closed

Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam

Sale Date: October 22, 2021

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT DES SIR NICHOLAS CAREW (1496-1539)

Workshop of Hans Holbein the Younger

PORTRAIT DES SIR NICHOLAS CAREW (1496-1539)

Sale Date: September 23, 2021

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Carew..., 1500–1599

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Carew..., 1500–1599

Sale Date: July 7, 2021

Auction Closed

Die Kreuzigung, 1518

Hans the Younger and Ambrosius Holbein

Die Kreuzigung, 1518

Sale Date: June 9, 2021

Auction Closed

Portrait of Matthew Parker (1504-1575),...

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Matthew Parker (1504-1575),...

Sale Date: March 24, 2021

Auction Closed

A lady from Basel in elegant costume and a...

After Hans Holbein the Younger

A lady from Basel in elegant costume and a...

Sale Date: January 28, 2021

Auction Closed

The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb, 1521

After Hans Holbein the Younger

The Body of the Dead Christ in the Tomb, 1521

Sale Date: December 17, 2020

Auction Closed

The nun, 1524–1525

Hans Holbein the Younger

The nun, 1524–1525

Sale Date: November 14, 2020

Auction Closed

A pair of English portraits

After Hans Holbein the Younger

A pair of English portraits

Sale Date: September 25, 2020

Auction Closed

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex,...

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, 1st Earl of Essex,...

Sale Date: July 30, 2020

Auction Closed

Erasmus von Rotterdam im Gehäuse, 1538

Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus von Rotterdam im Gehäuse, 1538

Sale Date: June 26, 2020

Auction Closed

Erasmus von Rotterdam, 1538

Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus von Rotterdam, 1538

Sale Date: June 3, 2020

Auction Closed

Die Kreuzigung (2 works), 1518

Hans the Younger and Ambrosius Holbein

Die Kreuzigung (2 works), 1518

Sale Date: June 3, 2020

Auction Closed

Öl auf Leinwand, 77 x 64 cm

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Öl auf Leinwand, 77 x 64 cm

Sale Date: June 15, 2019

Auction Closed

Erasmus von Rotterdam

Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus von Rotterdam

Sale Date: May 29, 2019

Auction Closed

PORTRAIT OF A MAN, HALF LENGTH, WEARING A CROSS...

Circle of Hans Holbein the Younger

PORTRAIT OF A MAN, HALF LENGTH, WEARING A CROSS...

Sale Date: February 5, 2019

Auction Closed

Bildnis des Mathematikers Johannes Stoefler..., 1531

Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis des Mathematikers Johannes Stoefler..., 1531

Sale Date: November 28, 2018

Auction Closed

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Sale Date: December 7, 2018

Auction Closed

Portrait of a gentleman with a rolled sheet of...

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a gentleman with a rolled sheet of...

Sale Date: October 30, 2018

Auction Closed

King Henry VIII

Hans Holbein the Younger

King Henry VIII

Sale Date: September 21, 2018

Auction Closed

Portrait de Thomas Cromwell

In the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait de Thomas Cromwell

Sale Date: May 29, 2018

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sir Thomas More as he was led to...

Circle of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Sir Thomas More as he was led to...

Sale Date: April 19, 2018

Auction Closed

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