Hans Holbein the Younger: One of the Greatest Portraitists of the Northern Renaissance

Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497–1543) was a German painter and printmaker who worked primarily in England and is regarded as one of the greatest portraitists of the Northern Renaissance. While he initially received training in Augsburg and Basel, his career reached its pinnacle in London, where he served as the King’s Painter to Henry VIII.

Holbein’s style is characterized by its extraordinary realism, precise detail, and a meticulous, almost photographic rendering of fabric, jewelry, and facial features. His most famous works include the portraits of Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves, and his striking depiction of the statesman Thomas Cromwell. His art transcended mere likeness, he often incorporated symbols and objects (anamorphosis or memento mori) into his compositions, as seen famously in The Ambassadors (1533), adding layers of intellectual depth to his masterful technique.

Holbein’s portraits remain our most vivid visual link to the powerful figures of the Tudor court.

Adam and Eve, 1517

Portrait of the Artist’s Wife, circa 1517

The Last Supper, 1524-25

Touch Me Not, 1524

Venus and Amor, 1524-25

Darmstadt Madonna, 1525-26

Lais of Corinth, 1526

Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling, 1527-28

Mary Wotton (Lady Guildford), 1527

Portrait of Sir Brian Tuke, circa 1527

Portrait of Elsbeth Binzenstock and Her Children, circa 1528

Portrait of Nicolaus Kratzer, 1528

Thomas Godsalve and His Son John Godsalve, 1528

Portrait of Sir Nicholas Carew, 1532-33

Cyriacus Kale, 1533

Derich Born, 1533

Double Portrait of J. de Denterville and G. de Selve, 1533

Portrait of Robert Cheseman, 1533

Portrait of Thomas Cromwell, circa 1533

Portrait of Charles de Solier, Lord of Morette, 1534-35

Jane Seymour, 1536-37

Portrait of Elizabeth Widmerpole, circa 1536

Edward, Prince of Wales, 1538

Portrait of Henry VIII, 1538

Portrait of Anne of Cleves, circa 1539

Portrait of Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk, 1539-40

Portrait of Catherine Howard, 1540-41

Portrait of Henry VIII, 1540

Portrait of a Boy with a Lemur, 1541-42

Unknown Young Man at His Desk, circa 1541