Hans Holbein the Younger 1497/98-1543 / druk 1: portraitist of the Renaissance

Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/98-1543) was a diverse artist who excelled in several genres and techniques. In the course of his career he gradually turned exclusively towards the portrait. It is especially this part of his body of work that made him a celebrity even during his lifetime. His portraits, both the drawings and the paintings, show Holbein's fabulous control of technique and an unequalled capacity to reflect the character of the portrayed.This volume accompanied the first single exhibition on Hans Holbein the Younger in the Netherlands. The Mauritiushuis in Den Haag presented about forty paintings and drawings created between 1523 and 1543. All these works are presented in large-sized coloured reproductions in the catalogue. The works represent important chapters in Holbein's artistic life and are supplemented by preliminary drawings thus creating an unique opportunity to subject the master's working methods to close scrutiny.The portraits are all accompanied by biographies of the depicted person and notes on technique, material and iconography. An extensive appendix includes explanations of historical terms, a chronology and places Holbein's body of work in the context of it's time.