Unidentified man, c1537 - a photo on Flickriver

            Black inks over black and coloured chalks with white heightening on pink prepared paper

This drawing probably dates from c1537, since it is on the same type of paper that Holbein used for his drawing of James Butler.  The identity of the sitter is not recorded, but his magnificent jacket of satin ('atlass'/'at'), and his commissioning of a portrait from Holbein, suggest that he was a man of substance.  Although the finished portrait does not survive, a copy suggest that it was circular like those of Baron Cobham and George Cornwall.*

From the exhibition


Holbein at the Tudor Court 
(November 2023 – April 2024)

Hans Holbein was one of the most talented artists of the 16th century.  From his arrival in England in search of work he rose to royal favour, chosen to paint the portraits of Henry VIII, his family and leading figures, among them Anne Boleyn and Sir Thomas More. By his death, Holbein’s work was as admired by his contemporaries as it is today. His portraits inspired the next generation of artists in their depictions of Edward VI, Mary I and Elizabeth I.
This exhibition showcases one of the most important surviving collections of his work, and includes drawings, paintings, miniatures and book illustrations. Celebrating Holbein’s artistic skill, it explores the career of the artist and the lives of those who commissioned portraits from him, bringing us face-to-face with some of the most famous people of 16th-century England.
Hans Holbein (1497/8-1543) travelled to England from the Swiss city of Basel in 1526.  He was seeking work at the English court, where Henry VIII employed artists from across Europe to celebrate the power and glory of the Tudor dynasty. 
Over the next 17 years, Holbein would become one of the most successful artists working in England.  His clients included senior courtiers, leading nobles and members of the Tudor royal family. 
Holbein's success in England was due to his skill at portraiture.  He came from a family of artists from Augsburg in Germany and learned to draw and paint at an early age.  Contemporaries praised him as an 'incomparable painter' and a 'wonderful artist'.  His portrait paintings and miniatures depicted sitters who, as the inscription on one painting proclaimed, only needed a voice to appear alive. 
Holbein's portraits started with drawings of his sitters, taken from the life.  Although made as working studies, these drawings are beautiful works of art in their own right.  Their detail reveals much about Holbein's working practice as he developed and refined his composition, a process which continued as he began to paint.
[*King's Gallery]

Unless otherwise stated, the item is by Holbein

Taken in King's Gallery
   

Some rights reserved

Taken on: December 30, 2023

Tags:

30.12.23

London

King's Gallery

Holbein at the Tudor Court

Hans Holbein

16th century

portrait

Henry VIII

Anne Boleyn

Sir Thomas More

Edward VI

Mary I

Elizabeth I

drawings

paintings

miniatures

book illustrations

Royal Collection

Tudor court

courtiers

portrait artist

Augsburg

southern Germany

Basel

Switzerland

religious altarpieces

stained glass windows

goldsmiths’ work

prints

English court

Tudor dynasty

senior courtiers

nobles

Tudor royal family

royal family

portraiture

working studies

Unidentified man

Black inks

black chalk

coloured chalks

white heightening

pink prepared paper

James Butler

jacket of satin

atlass « less

Sets appears in: • The Queen's Gallery • City of Westminster more » • Artworks • Galleries & Museums « less

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