Holbein: Renaissance Master

A definitive biography of the artist who, more than any other, has shaped our image of the Tudor court

This landmark scholarly biography of Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497-1543), court painter to Henry VIII, is the first in more than a century. From his early days in Augsburg and Basel to his lasting impact on British art and culture, this definitive account breathes new life into Holbein’s story, shedding light on the artist whose paintings would shape perceptions of the Tudor court for five hundred years.

Written in accessible, engaging prose, the book explores Holbein’s famous portraits of Tudor figures--Henry VIII, his queens, would-be wives, and leading courtiers such as Thomas More and Thomas Cromwell--and examines iconic works, including The Ambassadors. Beyond biography, it situates Holbein’s art within the broader context of Tudor Britain, tracing the birth of collecting, connoisseurship, and art history itself.

Beautifully illustrated, with rarely seen paintings from private collections, this volume weaves the latest research--including new archival discoveries and scientific analysis--into a fresh examination of Holbein’s life and work.

Distributed for the Paul Mellon Centre for Studies in British Art

Elizabeth Goldring is an honorary reader at the University of Warwick and a fellow of the Society of Antiquaries and the Royal Historical Society. She is the author of Nicholas Hilliard: Life of an Artist (2019) and Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, and the World of Elizabethan Art (2014).