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 alderman Robert Trappes, 1554

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of alderman Robert Trappes, 1554

Sale Date: June 30, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of King Henry VIII

Circle of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of King Henry VIII

Sale Date: June 30, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of Catherine Parr

In the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Catherine Parr

Sale Date: June 30, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait d'homme tenant des oeillets

Style of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait d'homme tenant des oeillets

Sale Date: June 22, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of a monk

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a monk

Sale Date: June 21, 2005

Auction Closed

Sir Thomas More, 1600

In the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger

Sir Thomas More, 1600

Sale Date: May 25, 2005

Auction Closed

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (?)

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Edward Stafford, 3rd Duke of Buckingham (?)

Sale Date: May 17, 2005

Auction Closed

Danse Macabre (21 works)

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Danse Macabre (21 works)

Sale Date: October 23, 2004

Auction Closed

Portrait of a monk

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a monk

Sale Date: January 28, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of a man in black, 1600

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a man in black, 1600

Sale Date: January 28, 2005

Auction Closed

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell

Sale Date: January 28, 2005

Auction Closed

Leonhardus Baur with his arms resting on a..., 1549

Attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger

Leonhardus Baur with his arms resting on a..., 1549

Sale Date: December 7, 2004

Auction Closed

Profilbildnis eines Mannes mit Mütze..., 1600–1699

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Profilbildnis eines Mannes mit Mütze..., 1600–1699

Sale Date: June 16, 2004

Auction Closed

Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis eines bärtigen Mannes

Sale Date: June 16, 2004

Auction Closed

Bildnis einer englischen Dame, 1918–1918

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis einer englischen Dame, 1918–1918

Sale Date: June 16, 2004

Auction Closed

Bildnis eines vornehmen Herrn, in der rechten...

Circle of Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis eines vornehmen Herrn, in der rechten...

Sale Date: May 22, 2004

Auction Closed

Bildnis des Humanisten Erasmus von Rotterdam mit

Hans Holbein the Younger

Bildnis des Humanisten Erasmus von Rotterdam mit

Sale Date: May 22, 2004

Auction Closed

Portrait de gentilhomme tenant un oeillet, 1800–1899

Manner/Style of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait de gentilhomme tenant un oeillet, 1800–1899

Sale Date: March 24, 2004

Auction Closed

Portrait of a gentleman in profile, 1529–1529

Follower of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a gentleman in profile, 1529–1529

Sale Date: December 12, 2003

Auction Closed

Porträtt av den engelske filosofen Thomas Moore

Circle of Hans Holbein the Younger

Porträtt av den engelske filosofen Thomas Moore

Sale Date: December 4, 2003

Auction Closed

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Poyntz wearing , 1535–1535

In the manner of Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Poyntz wearing , 1535–1535

Sale Date: November 27, 2003

Auction Closed

Erasmus of Rotterdam

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Sale Date: November 18, 2003

Auction Closed

Erasmus of Rotterdam

After Hans Holbein the Younger

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Sale Date: November 18, 2003

Auction Closed

The Last Judgement, children with the..., 1538–1538

After Hans Holbein the Younger

The Last Judgement, children with the..., 1538–1538

Sale Date: November 6, 2003

Auction Closed

English (US)

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