HOLBEIN. 141 HOLBEBG. arum Veteris Instrumenti leones" ("Pictures from the Old Testament"), ninety-one plates, were first piiblisheil together at Lyons in 1538. Best known of all is his "Dance of Death," fifty-eight plates in all, replete with humor and satire upon the ecclesiastical and social condi- tions of the day. It was published in book form at Lyons in 15.38. and has been often republished: a good modern edition is that of Lippmann ( Ber- lin. 1878). The advent of the Reformation and the con- sequent disturbances in Basel were the chief cause of Hollx'in's journey to England in 1526. Equipped with recommendations from his friend Erasmus, he found a ready welcome in the liouse of Sir Thomas Jlore at Southwark. His activity during his stay there, which lasted two years, may best be studied in the fine series of chalk drawings at Windsor Castle (published in Lon- don, 1884). In 1527 he painted Sir Thomas Slore. now in possession of Henry Huth, London ; Sir Henry Guildford, in Windsor Castle ; and Archbishop Warham, of Canterbury, in Lambeth Palace (replica in the Louvre), the best of all — a wonderful piece of realism and strength. Among his portraits of 1528 are those of Xicholas Kratzer. the King's astrologer, in the Louvre, and of Thomas Godsalvc and his son .John, at Dres- den. His famous picture of More and his family is lost, but the studies for the heads are at Windsor, and the pen sketch which he took for Erasmus is still at Basel. He returned to Basel in 1529 and purchased a house. But during his stay the storm of icono- clasm broke over the city, and the demand for religious pictures ceased. Holbein, indeed, fin- ished his frescoes in the Council Chamber, add- ing two large subjects from the Old Testament, "Samuel Reproving Saul" and "Rehoboam's Pride." Both paintings are lost, but the sketches in the Museum of Basel, masterly in composition and dramatic action, show Holbein as a great his- torical painter. In 1520 he painted a highly real- istic portrait of his wife and two children on paper (Basel Museum), two portraits of Eras- mus (Parma and Basel), and one of Melanch- thon (Hanover). In 15.32, notw-ithstanding the efforts of the Burgomaster and Council of Basel to retain him, he returned to England. On his arrival at London he resided with the German merchants of the Steelyard, with whom he found occupation. In 1532 and in the fol- lowing years he painted a number of portraits of these merchants, of which examples survive at Vienna, Windsor, Munich, Brunswick, and Pet- worth. The l)est is that of George Gysse (1532), in the Museum of Berlin, remarkable for strong character and the detailed finish of the acces- sories. On the occasion of Anne Boleyn's corona- tion he designed for the German merchants an allegorical pageant nf Parnassus: he decorated their guild-hall with two large paintings, of which there are sketches in the Louvre. "Triumph of Riches" and "Triumjih of Poverty." It is not known when he first entered Henry VIII. 's ser- vice, but in 1530 we find him mentioned as the King's painter. In 1537 he was sent to Brussels to portray Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, whom the King thought of marrying, and in 1539 to portray -Anne of Cleves. whose por- trait, now in the Louvre, had much to do with the King's marrying her. His chief work for Henry VTII. was a group painted on the wall of the Privy Chamber at Tiitehall, in 1537, rep- resenting the King with his father and mother and -lane Seymour. This painting was destroyed in the fire of 1698. but the cartoon of the King is at Hardwick Hall, and there arc several copies of the portrait, the best known of which is at Windsor Castle. Holbein painted another excel- lent portrait of Jane Seymour, now in the Gal- lery of Vienna, and of Edward, Prince of Wales, at Hanover. The King also commissioned him to design various decorations, especially in the gold- smith's art, in which he acquitted himself with great taste and ability, as is evident from the original designs in the British Museum and else- where. In 1538 he visited Basel, where he was banqueted by the council, and he promised to re- turn after two years, which promise, however, he did not keep. His principal portraits, executed during his last stay in England, besides those mentioned above, are "The Ambassadors" (1533), in the National Gallery; Robert Cheeseman (1533), the King's falconer, at The Hague; Thomas (Trom- well, at Tittenhanger : Hubert Morett, at Dres- den; Thomas Howard, Duke of Xorfolk, at Windsor; two "L'nknown Men" at Berlin and Vienna, and an "Unknown Woman" at Vienna; ^Melchior Maag (15431. in the Huybrecht collec- tion. Antwerp; Dr. .John Chambers, the King's physician, at Windsor. He also painted a num- ber of miniatures, among which is that of Queen Catharine Howard in the library at Windsor, and executed a number of imixirtant designs for wood- engravings, including the title-page of Cover- dale's Bible, illustrations of Cranmer's catechism, and "King Henry in Council," the title-page of Hall's Chronicle. Holbein died of the pestilence in London in the autumn of 1543. He is chiefly known as a por- trait painter, but his religiovis pictures, and especially his mural decorations, show that, had the opportunity presented itself, he might have been one of the greatest historical painters of all times. His portraits are absolutely true to na- ture, yet show a wonderful interpretation of char- acter. The excellence of his drawing is attested by his large number of chalk and other drawings, especiall}' in the Museum of Ba-sel and in Wind- sor Castle. His method in portraiture seems to have been to make a careful chalk drawing of the sitter, which he afterwards transferred to the canvas. Holbein is by far the greatest colorist of the German school, and although the details of his portraits are highly finished, they in no wise interfere with the general effect. As a designer for wood-engraving he showed a thorough under- standing of the art. combined with a fantasy and humor which have seldom been surpassed. Consult: Woltmann. Hans llolhriit und seine Zrit (T^ipzig. 1874-76) ; Wornum. Life and H'or/.s of Holbein (T..ondon, 1866) : A. Schmid, Ilnlhrin des Jiingeren Fntii'iekeltniij Jolo-2(> (Basel. 1892). See also the biographies of C^m- dall (London. 1879): Knackfuss (Bielefeld. 1897) : and of Wessely. in Dohme's Kiinst und Kiinstler Deulselilanilx (I>eipzig. 1877). For reproductions of Holbein's works, compare Mantz. Hnns Holbein (Paris. 1879); Hiis, Dessins d'omements de Hans Holbein (ib., 1886). HOLBERG, h.M'berK, Lt-nvTO. Baron (1684- 1754). A Danish poet, novelist, and historian, born at Bersen. Xorwav. He is called the 'father
