This volume provides an account of the life and career of Hans Holbein the younger, detailing the artistic lineage of the Holbein family and the cultural environment of Augsburg. The author examines the evolution of the elder Holbein's style from late Gothic forms to the luminous techniques of the Flemish and Italian Renaissance, highlighting his major works such as the St. Sebastian altar-piece and the Lisbon Fountain of Life. The narrative then shifts to the youthful days of Hans the younger, addressing the early misconceptions surrounding his birth date and birthplace through the analysis of silver-point drawings and surviving family records.
The account follows the brothers Hans and Ambrosius from Augsburg to Switzerland, exploring their early commissions in Basel, including book illustrations, marginal drawings for Erasmus, schoolmaster sign-boards, and the double portrait of Jakob Meyer and his wife. The journey extends to Lucerne, where Hans undertook the decoration of the Hertenstein house, followed by his vital journey across the Alps to Lombardy. This Italian sojourn deeply affected his artistic development, introducing him to the techniques of Leonardo and Mantegna. Upon his return to Basel, Holbein produced significant sacred paintings, including the Passion altar-piece, the Solothurn Madonna, and the striking Dead Christ in the Tomb, which display an increasing mastery of form, realism, and classical architectural settings.
