Holbein: Capturing Character

by Anne T. Woollett (Editor), Austeja Mackelaite (Contributor), John T. McQuillen (Contributor)

Stunning portraits by the renowned Renaissance artist illuminate fascinating figures from the European merchant class, intellectual elite, and court of King Henry VIII.

Nobles, ladies, scholars, and merchants were the subjects of Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98–1543), an inventive German artist best known for his dazzling portraits. Holbein developed his signature style in Basel and London amid a rich culture of erudition, self-definition, and love of luxury and wit before becoming court painter to Henry VIII. Accompanying the first major Holbein exhibition in the United States, this catalogue explores his vibrant visual and intellectual approach to personal identity. In addition to reproducing many of the artist’s painted and drawn portraits, this volume delves into his relationship with leading intellectuals, such as Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More, as well as his contributions to publishing and book culture, meticulous inscriptions, and ingenious designs for jewels, hat badges, and other exquisite objects.

This volume is published to accompany an exhibition on view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center from October 19, 2021, to January 9, 2022 and at the Morgan Library & Museum from February 11 to May 15, 2022.

Genres: Art

192 pages, Hardcover

Published November 2, 2021

Reviews

[Geoff · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really interesting exhibition catalog, serving more like an academic introduction to the painter. In addition to a full section of all of the paintings, sketches, etchings, and other objects in the exhibition, there were a number of different academic essays examining Holbein, his influences, his context, and his legacy from many different angles. All a really interesting introduction to this painter. And all of that is leaving aside the portraits which are STUNNING. They look incredibly modern and do a great job capturing the quirks and personalities of the subjects. Really a great read.

**Thanks to the editor, publisher, and NetGalley for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another outstanding catalog by the Getty Museum. The introductory essay is excellent, albeit a little bit. That said, it does a good job of contextualizing the exhibition. I really enjoyed the next essay, by Peter van der Coelen called "Erasmus Man of Images." It is interesting on the topic of why and how Erasmus in mid-life suddenly became the subject of so many portraits. An early example of branding? Admirers wanted his portrait to be inspired, while those who hated him took the chance to spit at the cheaper portraits that they would buy! Some had coins with his face they carried or tiny pictures of him contained in little boxes. Holbein's portrait is perhaps the most famous, in England at least, but there are also very well-known versions by Durer, Lucas Cranach the Elder and Quentin Metsys. The five most famous portraits directly commissioned by Erasmus himself were created to be used as gifts.

Mackelaite’s essay, "Hand Holbein the Younger as Portrait Draftsman," explores the way Holbein created these extraordinary rich portraits through the creation of studies in charcoal and silverpoint, etc. I am not as interested in drawing and yet found this essay to be the most engaging in the book. It provided tremendous insights into his process. I had no idea how rare these drawings are outside of Europe. The Getty's drawing is the only one in North America (?)

In McQuillen’s essay, "Holbein, Humanism, and the book," investigates the role of books --both as physical objects (Holbein illustrated many books) and as pictorial matter. Holbein made frequent illustrations of books and was also a painter who often portrayed books as personal emblems of subjects. In fact, this informs his early migration to Basel, which was a major hub of humanist activity and book printing. The printer Johan Froben was the reason that Erasmus of Rotterdam came to the city in 1514. Related to this, the next essay is on inscriptions and calligraphy and it was so interesting to learn about the variety of scripts, especially Roman stele scrips used by Holbein in his work.

In the last essay by Ulrich Hans Birkmaier, The Getty museum’s allegory of passions is re-examined. In preparation for this exhibition the museum called for a new comprehensive technical study using various examination techniques.

I read the catalog whilst reading The King's Painter by Franny Moyle. Both are highly recommended.

And finally, reproductions of art works in the catalog are absolutely gorgeous.

[Julie Stielstra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful and fascinating study of the art of Hans Holbein in a catalog accompanying the first major exhibition of his work in the U.S, hosted by the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, and currently en route to the Morgan Library in New York. Everyone knows that iconic image of Henry VIII, right? The spraddle-legged king dripping in furs and chains and velvets and jewels? That was Holbein. Born in Germany, son of the successful painter of mostly religious works Hans Holbein the Elder, Hans the Younger worked and trained in Switzerland and the Low Countries, then settled in England. His friendship with (and warm portrait of) the prince of European humanists Erasmus opened the door to Thomas More, with whom Holbein lived for a couple of years. He painted lords and ladies, dukes and merchants, courtiers, and - of course - royalty. Silks and sleeves, velvets and damask, drapery and jewels glint and gleam and glow. His people glower or ponder, sulk or strut. The magnificent French ambassador may be deciding whether to draw his sword on you; Richard Southwell is thinking of how soon he can get out of this sitting. Thomas More's eyes are creased and he needs a shave, Cromwell looks irritated at the interruption of his business. Mary, Lady Guilford, glances at you sideways as though about to smile in her drawing - then purses a severe and scolding mouth in the painting. Holbein surrounds them with precisely-chosen emblems, mottoes, and objects that tell you even more about their pursuits, their status, their philosophies, and their interests.

These glorious paintings are almost overshadowed by the utterly dazzling, delicate drawings - skin tones rendered in a flush of red chalk, a fall of hair sheened in watercolor, the grooved and granitic face of the archbishop brought to life by his hooded eyes in ink and chalk, a quickly sketched hand seems to write as we watch.

Additional chapters address Holbein's other skills as a calligrapher, designer of logos and alphabets and jewels, and his expertise both in designing and painting books. The Getty is proud to own a mysterious allegorical panel of a passionate rider, long unattributed until technical analysis of the pigments, underdrawings, and even dendochronology of the wood panel helped assign it to Holbein. There are marvelous little roundel portraits four inches across, with stubbled jawlines, eyebrows, and drapery shadows elegantly detailed. The chapter texts (such as that covering Holbein's contributions to fonts and book design) are scholarly and intended for an academic audience, and we have not a single documentary scrap from Holbein himself about anything, but the curators have assembled a wonderfully rich, informative, and splendidly illustrated catalog to enhance anyone's appreciation for this remarkable artist. I for one want to go get myself a soft black velvet hat and spangle it with tiny diamonds and one elegant hat badge.

*Thanks to NetGalley for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. I may have to buy this book just to frame the portrait of Charles de Solier, with whom I fell madly in love.*

[Allyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Getty’s catalogue for its Hans Holbein exhibition upholds the usual excellent standard of quality and visual richness of Getty catalogues in general--replete with full-color illustrations, this makes an excellent addition to the bookshelf or coffee table of an art lover, Tudor history buff, or Erasmus fan.

The essays within are, by and large, also excellent, with a heavy focus on the materiality and process behind Holbein’s works. The contributors elaborate upon Holbein’s relationship with his patrons, in particular Desiderius Erasmus and the constellation of humanists who followed him. General readers might be more familiar with Holbein’s work as a portraitist to the Tudor court, which the essays discuss less extensively, and as such might be disappointed by the focus on lower gentry, merchants, and intellectuals. I was personally pleasantly surprised by the focus on humanism and the world beyond the Tudor court, as well as the positioning of Holbein within the word-versus-image debate of the period. If one reads the essays in the order they appear, however, they might have difficulty getting past the first essay in order to explore these larger questions--while packed full of detail, citations, and dates, it is also quite dry and difficult to penetrate, and it may put off someone from reading the rest of the catalogue, depending on how they choose to read. The essays finish strong, however, with a clearly written and accessible overview of the technical analysis of Holbein’s Allegory of Passion that would be a great entry point for someone trying to better understand conservation and attribution methods.

Overall, this is a lovely volume with a great deal of interesting material, but, as is the case with many exhibition catalogues, its cohesion and overall argument may be less useful to readers than the quality of its reproductions and the information and observations of its individual essays. For catalogue collectors, Holbein aficionados, and others like them, this is certainly a must-get. General readers will definitely enjoy the images and hopefully glean fascinating information from the essays. However, not being a Holbein expert, I can’t comment on whether it is a substantive addition to the scholarly conversation on the artist.

[Alessio]

This is a very accessibly written introduction to Holbein that isn’t too bogged down by the weight of scholarship. Peter van der Coolen’s essay on Erasmus was very fun to read and Birkmaier’s technical essay is evidence of how any museum exhibition on a painter should be accompanied with XRFs and IRRs to illuminate technique. Particularly helpful is the inclusion of the biographies of notable figures who have sat for Holbein — often with shows that focus on portraiture, one can get lost in a miscible morass of syndics (Thomas de Keyser) or aristocrats (Moroni).

There are so many attractive color reproductions of Holbein’s drawings and paintings herein. I appreciated Mackelaitė’s point about the difference in tone and mood between drawings and paintings, a medium-specificity understood by both the painter and his sitters. The bare- and hairy-chested Sir Charles Wingfield is particularly thrilling, and an example of his inventive use of pink prepared paper for portrait drawings, apparently picked up on his trip to Basel in 1528-32, instead of at the court of Henry VIII, and his preference for a pink- or salmon-colored imprimatura. How I wish I got to see the Darmstadt Madonna (Schwäbisch Hall, Sammlung Würth) alongside the straw yellow melancholic drawing of Anna Meyer (Kunstmuseum Basel, Kupferstichkabinett)!

[Andrea Engle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely Stellar … This book is the eponymous catalogue to an exhibit held by the Getty Center in Los Angeles, CA (from October 19th, 2021, until January 9th, 2022) and the Morgan Library & Museum of New York City ( from February 11th to May 15th of 2022) … so, purchase your plane ticket, and pack your bag … there’s not a second to lose … you don’t want to miss this Exhibit, despite the Pandemic, despite the War in Ukraine, despite the Economy, etc. … consists of six, interesting essays by various accredited scholars; the most note-worthy being: “Erasmus, Man of Images,” by Peter van der Coelen … it even gives translations of the Latin and Greek inscriptions if your classical languages are a bit rusty … the cherry-on-top are the Appendices, which include: “Biographies of Notable Figures,” a “Chronology,” etc., and, best-of-all, an excellent “Bibliography.” If you simply cannot get away, buy this book!!!

Similar Work:
by Susan Foister (no photo)

[Agnes Preszler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never less than 5 stars for the publications of the Getty Museum. With the usual highest standards this volume presents many works of the great master, some of them I see for the first time. Beautiful images accompanied by texts written by experts reveal so much information about not only Holbein painter but also his calligraphy , ornamental works and more.. Also, I have seen many times the Thomas More portrait in images (I also painted a copy of it as a part of study), but it is the first time I noticed the extraordinary quality of the velvet sleeve, thanks to the good quality reproduction. Interesting to see also how Holbein and other painters (Quentin Metsys, Jan Goessart etc. ) painted similar subjects, or see the same subject drawn and painted by the great German master. Extra: biography of some of the painted subjects and chronology.
I think Holbein himself would be very satisfied with this wonderful volume.

[MookNana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Stunning! This is an excellent companion to its exhibit, as well as a great standalone collection of Holbein's works and exploration of his career, process, influences, and the world in which he lived. This would make both a wonderful remembrance of seeing the exhibit, or a nice temporary substitute until we're all able to travel freely again.

The art was beautifully rendered--clear, vibrant, and nearly bursting off the page. I also really appreciated the extra information included. The chronology and biographies of the various portrait subjects were a fascinating addition to the insight about Holbein himself.

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review!

[joyce w. laudon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is simply a gorgeous book! It can be enjoyed by both art history scholars and those who enjoy looking at art. Many may know Holbein for his portraits of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour, among others. There is so much more to discover in these pages, however. The beautifully reproduced paintings that are included in this volume demonstrate Holbein’s gift for capturing his subjects. They feel very real and human. The volume also has art by Erasmus. There are, in addition, a number of well-written essays.

Highly recommended! Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

The color reproductions of Hans Holbein’s glorious, life-like, painted portraits of well known and unknown people from 16th century Europe are of very high quality, even under magnification. I wish I had attended this exhibition in person in 2021. Holbein’s attention to detail and lighting in his portrayal of the facial expressions and the dress of his subjects makes me forget he painted them 500 years ago. The catalog also contains some exquisite portraits done by Holbein in pen and ink, and enhanced with colored chalk. The five essays helped me understand better Holbein the painter.

[Sarah Lowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful book. Paintings and drawings by Holbein the elder and younger take you back in time at the life of his patrons. The author describes how much feeling and emotion was put into each painting and that the Holbein's, especially the younger, placed an emphasize on conveying his subjects emotions through different mediums.
This ARC was provided free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Sheri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a wonderful, beautiful read. These portraits! The man was an absolute genius with light, colours and expressions. I absolutely adores reading the backsides and viewing the paintings. I plan on purchasing this as a table top book. Stunning!!

[Dr. Jeffrey H. Schnitzer · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great artist presented with great reproductions. Wonderful.

[XenofoneX · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a serious lack of serious monographs out there on a late-Renaissance painter who might be the greatest of all time, breathing the same rarified air as other Baroque & Renaissance masters like Diego Velazquez, Raphael, Rembrandt Van Rijn, Pieter Bruegel, Jusepe Ribera & Giovanni Bellini. Seriously.

Hans Holbein still hasn't gotten the sort of attention he deserves, owing perhaps to the fact that he was yet another German genius - taught & befriended by Dutch Humanist Desiderius Erasmus - but did much of his most famous work in London, working first for the Hanseatic League, then as the court painter of that bloated, wife-killing, Catholic-hating asshole, Henry VIII, king of England. By osmosis, Holbein went from being a German painter to an English painter; in the late 16th Century, no one gave a shit about English artists, least of all the English. That might explain why the court minions went searching across the channel when they needed an artist, and got very fucking lucky. But it was a tough gig, and when Holbein was sent back home to the continent so he could paint a portrait of a prospective bride for fat old Henry to murder/murder for, poor Hans got sick & died. Of the plague. At the ripe old age of 43.

That explains the second reason he isn't that well known; he died fairly young.

Nevertheless, for those of us who appreciate Holbein's genius, and actually find his choice of subjects in the bloodiest, most scandalous court in English history to be an actual positive, this brand new release from the Getty Museum accompanies an exhibition that is still going as I write this.

If you can't make the show, the book is just as good. Better.
[Rough, without fact checking, so forgive any errors, if they exist.]