He was court painter to King Henry VIII, when he immortalized not only the King himself, but several of Henry's prospective spouses, actual wives and children as well. He also vividly drew and painted merchants, ambassadors and members of the English court. In addition to faithfully conveying the physical appearance of his sitters, Holbein was among the very first artists to portray people as flesh and blood, as real personalities who continue to intrigue and move us.
This richly illustrated volume, published to accompany the major exhibition at the Mauritshuis in the Hague, offers glorious reproductions of some forty paintings, as well as perceptive and scholarly accounts of Holbein's work in its full historical and artistic context.
In her introductory essay, Stephanie Buck focuses on Holbein's activities as a portraitist. She explores the pivotal role Erasmus played in Holbein's early career, and the later English period during which he portrayed both the royal circle and civilians. Jochen Sander's essay sheds new light on the creation of the Darmstadt Madonna, and the book is completed by a Who's Who in the Life and Times of Hans Holbein.