Holbein: Renaissance Master

by Elizabeth Goldring

Genres: Art, History, Nonfiction, Biography

417 pages, Hardcover

Published January 6, 2026

About the author

Dr. Elizabeth Goldring was a Research Fellow in the University of Warwick's Centre for the Study of the Renaissance and is now an Associate Fellow of both the Centre and Warwick's History of Art Department. She is co-editor of two essay collections - The Progresses, Pageants, and Entertainments of Queen Elizabeth I (Oxford University Press, 2007) and Court Festivals of the European Renaissance: Art, Politics and Performance (Ashgate, 2002) - and associate general editor of Europa Triumphans: Court and Civic Festivals in Early Modern Europe (Ashgate, 2004). Other recent publications include articles in The British Art Journal, The Burlington Magazine, and ELR: English Literary Renaissance. She was Consultant to English Heritage for the exhibition 'Queen and Castle: Robert Dudley's Kenilworth', which opened in 2006.

Reviews

[Anne Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a must for any Tudor history nerd. This is both a biography of Hans Holbein, Henry VIII’s German-born court painter, and a study of his work. Because very little documentary evidence is left about his life, the author used a variety of sources to place him in different times and places. The book is written in a very academic style, so it is a bit of a dry read.

Where this book shines is in the lovely illustrations, which are included with details on their origin, commission, and information on who/what/where/when/why they were painted. I enjoyed that some of the author’s beliefs about painting subjects often differ from generally held beliefs.

I also enjoyed the information about Holbein’s associations with Erasmus and Thomas More, both of whom provided patronage that led him to the level of success as the painter to the King of England.

Because this book is more about of a scholarly type read, it will not appeal to general readers. But those interested in art for the Tudor court in particular will find it to be a great addition to their home collections.

[Isaac Hawcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

The reproductions are excellent and the text is highly informative (and I imagine quite exciting, if you're more familiar with the Holbein scholarship than I am!).