Hans Holbein the Younger 1 item

German artist of the Northern Renaissance. His portraits were much in demand in his day, when the Reformation meant artists sought an alternative to religious subject matter. He came to England twice, initially on Erasmu… Read Mores’ recommendation. There he mixed in Humanist circles and was made court painter to Henry VIII. This appointment allowed him to portray those in the Tudor court and also gave him responsibility for decoration and design of courtly objects. ‘The Ambassadors’ (1533, National Gallery) is one of his most iconic paintings. Holbein was also a prolific printmaker and contributed a great deal to book design.