“Self-Portrait”
The talented and inspiring Hans Holbein the Younger…
This “Self-Portrait” is by the German artist of the Northern Renaissance, Hans Holbein the Younger, from circa 1542 to 1543. It is made with pastel and ink on paper. Holbein is remembered for being one of the most prominent portrait artists of his time. He served as the official court painter of the Tudor Court in England serving under Henry VIII, a role he would fill from 1535 until his death in 1543.
This piece is the only confirmed self-portrait made by Holbein. From the position of his eyes and the angle of his face, it is believed he used a mirror to aid his drawing, as he was left-handed. Holbein’s signature attention to detail is evident in this piece. His green eyes look intently at the viewer. The details give the viewer an indication of the style of the day. Notice the beard, which has a flatter bottom, almost square-like in shape. His hair, shown around the crown of the head, is represented by a multitude of individual lines. It appears as if he is wearing a hat of sorts, though the styling of the bangs makes it more difficult to discern.
Hans Holbein the Younger died suddenly in 1543 soon after completing this portrait. He was most likely a victim of the Bubonic plague that was ravaging the population of Europe at this time. The golden yellow background was added after Holbein’s death. It is believed the text was added afterwards as well.
During this time in his career, Holbein had already fallen out of favor with Henry VIII. In 1539, their relationship had soured after a debacle regarding Anne of Cleves. Holbein was sent to Germany by Thomas Cromwell to paint a portrait of Anne of Cleves to bring back to Henry VIII who wanted to see what she looked like before entering into a marriage agreement. Henry decided to marry Anne based on Holbein’s portrait but found her so repugnant in real life that the marriage was never consummated.
This portrait has been copied several times as miniatures, including one by the artist who served contemporaneously in the Tudor Court with Holbein, the Dutch miniature artist, Lucas Horenbout.
This “Self-Portrait” by Hans Holbein the Younger is currently in the collections of the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.
For more on Hans Holbein the Younger, please visit his short biography here.
You can find more artists to learn about here.
