Holbein

by Norbert Wolf

Religion, Renaissance, and Reformation―these three ideologies shaped the world of 16th-century portraitist Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543), a pivotal figure of the Northern Renaissance, whose skills took him to Switzerland, Belgium, Italy, and England, and garnered patrons and subjects as prestigious as Henry VIII, Thomas More, Anne of Cleves, and Reformation advocate Thomas Cromwell. This book brings together key Holbein paintings to explore his illustrious and international career as well as the courtly drama and radical religious change that informed his work. With rich illustration, we survey the masterful draftsmanship and almost supernatural ability to control details, from the textures of luxurious clothing to the ornament of a room, that secured Holbein’s place as one of the greatest portraitists in Western art history. His probing eye was matched with a draftsman. Along the way, we see how he combined meticulous mimesis with an inspired amalgam of regional painterly traits, from Flemish-style realism to late medieval German composition and Italian formal grandeur. During his time in England, Holbein became official court painter to Henry VIII, producing both reformist propaganda and royalist paintings to bolster Henry’s status as monarch and as the new Supreme Head of the Church following the English Reformation. His portrait of Henry from 1537 is regarded not only as a portraiture pinnacle but also as an iconic record of this transformative monarch and the Tudor dynasty. Through this turbulent period, Holbein also produced anticlerical woodcuts, and sketched and painted Lutheran merchants, visiting ambassadors, and Henry’s notorious succession of wives. About the series Born back in 1985, the Basic Art Series has evolved into the best-selling art book collection ever published. Each book in TASCHEN’s Basic Art series a detailed chronological summary of the life and oeuvre of the artist, covering his or her cultural and historical importance a concise biography approximately 100 illustrations with explanatory captions

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, History, Biography

96 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2004

About the author

Norbert Wolf is an art historian and author based in Munich. He has published several books with Prestel, including "Art Nouveau", "Art Deco", "Impressionism", "Spanish Painting", and "The Golden Age of Dutch and Flemish Painting", as well as monographs on Albrecht Dürer and Titian.

Reviews

[E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hans Holbein younger was a true master of portraiture. He was also skilled in jewelery design and precious metal creations such as goblets and fantastic table ornaments.

He was renowned for rendering true renditions in his portraiture without false
embellishment.

[Tim Pattison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not my usual history book, but I have always been fascinated by the Tudors and Holbein is an enigmatic figure in most books/films/TV series. Our entire image of Henry VIII has been shaped by Holbein’s art. That alone makes Holbein interesting, but reading this book you get the sense of how people navigated the reformation and European society of the time. How they saw themselves. How an artist saw them. This short book, beautifully produced, gives an exciting and memorable introduction to Holbein and his world.

P.S. Take a look at the portrait of Charles de Solier, Sieur de Morette, on page 79!

[Igenlode Wordsmith · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent short introduction to Holbein's work, lavishly illustrated with beautifully reproduced images and insightful commentary on them, including some stunning pictures of non-English dignitaries not usually seen here.

It did almost immediately become evident that the text was translated, as a quick check at the back of the book confirmed- there are certain effusions in the introduction that have been a little too faithfully reproduced (and odd expressions like describing Henry VIII as "the stout regent", i.e. the fat man reigning). However most of the book is very readable and insightful. And a lot more entertaining than The Ambassadors' Secret!

[Kayleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had expected why more from the text in this book. Love the illustrations they have chosen but the text is kinda hard to read. It feels like an infodump about the time period and sometimes a mention of Holbein.
I also don't like it when an author says that a women is unactrative on a painting eventhough she just looks like a normal wife with two children.