Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait painter, draftsman, and designer, best known for his portraits of the English King Henry VIII. He was born in Augsburg, Germany, but established his career in Basel, Switzerland, where he worked primarily as a religious and portrait painter but also as a woodcut designer. In 1526 he left for England, armed with introductions from his great patron, the philosopher and theologian Erasmus. His connections with the circle of English humanists-foremost among them Sir Thomas More-provided the artist with an influential group of patrons close to the Crown. In 1528 he returned to Basel but by 1532 he had settled in England, a country then divided by the Protestant Reformation. In 1536 he was described as "The King's Painter," and payments of the following year indicate that he had become a court painter with an annual income of £30.

[Great British Paintings Label Text]