the jeweller Morett at Dresden, and last, not least, Christine of
Denmark, who gave sittings at Brussels in 1538. During the journey which
this work involved Holbein took the opportunity of revisiting Basel,
where he made his appearance in silk and satin, and _pro forma_ only
accepted the office of town painter. He had been living long and
continuously away from home, not indeed observing due fidelity to his
wife, who still resided at Basel, but fairly performing the duties of
keeping her in comfort. His return to London in autumn enabled him to do
homage to the king in the way familiar to artists. He presented to Henry
at Christmas a portrait of Prince Edward. Again abroad in the summer of
1539, he painted with great fidelity the princess Anne of Cleves, at
Duren near Cologne, whose form we still see depicted in the great
picture of the Louvre. That he could render the features of his sitter
without flattery is plain from this one example. Indeed, habitual
flattery was contrary to his habits. His portraits up to this time all
display that uncommon facility for seizing character which his father
enjoyed before him, and which he had inherited in an expanded form. No
amount of labour, no laboriousness of finish--and of both he was ever
prodigal--betrayed him into loss of resemblance or expression. No
painter was ever quicker at noting peculiarities of physiognomy, and it
may be observed that in none of his faces, as indeed in none of the
faces one sees in nature, are the two sides alike. Yet he was not a
child of the 16th century, as the Venetians were, in substituting touch
for line. We must not look in his works for modulations of surface or
subtle contrasts of colour in juxtaposition. His method was to the very
last delicate, finished and smooth, as became a painter of the old
school.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account