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Hans Holbein, the younger
(1497 (?)-1543)

Active: 1513-1543 in Switzerland, England

By Jeanne Nuechterlein (University of York)

Indexing Data:

  • Active In: Switzerland, England
  • Born In: Germany, Continental Europe
  • Activity: Painter, Portraitist, Illustrator, Courtier

Life, Works and Times

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Hans Holbein the Younger was one of the most accomplished and widely-traveled artists of northern Europe in the first half of the sixteenth century, whose work engaged closely with the cultural changes brought about by the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation. He was born in Augsburg, worked for many years in the prosperous Swiss city of Basel, traveled in France and possibly Italy, and finally became a portraitist and court artist for Henry VIII in England. He produced some of the most memorable and influential artistic works of the era, including portraits of Erasmus and Henry VIII, the paintings Dead Christ in the Tomb and The Ambassadors, and two major print cycles, the Dance of Death and illustrati

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First published 21 October 2009

Citation: Nuechterlein, Jeanne. "Hans Holbein, the younger". The Literary Encyclopedia. 21 October 2009.
[http://www.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=2171, accessed 21 November 2009.]