Chapter 4

PAINTER ROYAL (1536-1543)

Queen Jane Seymour--Death of Erasmus, and title-page portrait--The Whitehall painting of Henry VIII.--Munich drawing of Henry VIII.--Birth of an heir and the "Jane Seymour Cup"--Death of the Queen--Christina, Duchess of Milan--Secret service for the King--Flying visit to Basel and arrangements for a permanent return--Apprentices his son Philip at Paris--Portrait of the Prince of Wales and the King's return gift--Anne of Cleves--Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk--Catherine Howard--Lapse of Holbein's Basel citizenship--Irregularities--Provision for wife and children--Residence in London--Execution of Queen Catherine Howard--Marriage of Catherine Parr--Dr. Chamber--Unfinished work for the Barber-Surgeons' Hall--Death of Holbein--His will--Place of burial--Holbein's genius: its true character and greatness 156

CATALOGUE OF PRINCIPAL EXISTING WORKS 188

REFERENCES 189

INDEX 199

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

1. HOLBEIN _Frontispiece_ Self Portrait. From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

2. "PROSY" AND "HANS" HOLBEIN 16 Drawn by their father, Hans Holbein the elder. Silver-point. (Berlin Cabinet.)

3. SCHOOLMASTER'S SIGNBOARD 26 Oils. (Basel Museum.)

4. JACOB MEYER (ZUM HASEN) 31 Oils. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

5. DOROTHEA MEYER (née KANNEGIESSER) 31 Oils. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

6. BONIFACIUS AMERBACH 46 Oils. (Basel Museum.)

7. FIGHT OF LANDSKNECHTE 58 Washed drawing. (Basel Museum.) From a Photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

8. THE NATIVITY 72 Oils. (University Chapel, Freiburg Cathedral.) From a photograph by G. Röbke, Freiburg.

9. THE PASSION 74 I. GETHSEMANE. II. THE KISS OF JUDAS. III. BEFORE PONTIUS PILATE. IV. THE SCOURGING. V. THE MOCKING. VI. THE WAY TO CALVARY. VII. "IT IS FINISHED." VIII. THE ENTOMBMENT. Eight-panelled Altar-piece. (Basel Museum.)

10. CHRIST IN THE GRAVE 78 Oils. (Basel Museum.)

11. THE RISEN CHRIST 82 Oils. (Hampton Court Gallery.)

12. THE SOLOTHURN, OR ZETTER'SCHE, MADONNA 86 Oils. (Solothurn Museum.) From a photograph by Braun, Clement, and Cie., Paris.

13. UNNAMED PORTRAIT-STUDY; NOT CATALOGUED AS HOLBEIN'S 94 Silver-point and Indian ink. (Louvre Collection. Believed by the writer to be Holbein's drawing of his wife before her first marriage, and the model for the Solothurn Madonna.) From a photograph by Braun, Clement, and Cie., Paris.

14. ERASMUS 98 Oils. (The Louvre.) From a photograph by A. Giraudon, Paris.

15. THE PLOUGHMAN; THE PRIEST 102 "Images of Death." Woodcut series.

16. DOROTHEA OFFENBURG AS THE GODDESS OF LOVE 104 Oils. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

17. DOROTHEA OFFENBURG AS LAÏS CORINTHIACA 106 Oils. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

18. THE MEYER-MADONNA 109 Oils. (Grand Ducal Collection, Darmstadt.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

19. THE MEYER-MADONNA 109 (Later Version. Held by many to be a copy.) Oils. (Dresden Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

20. SIR THOMAS MORE 116 Chalks. (Windsor Castle.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

21. JOHN FISHER, BISHOP OF ROCHESTER 118 Chalks. (Windsor Castle.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

22. SIR HENRY GUILDFORD 120 Oils. (Windsor Castle.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

23. NICHOLAS KRATZER 122 Oils. (The Louvre.)

24. SIR BRYAN TUKE 124 Oils. (Munich Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

25. ELSBETH, HOLBEIN'S WIFE, WITH THEIR TWO ELDEST CHILDREN 126 Oils. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

26. "BEHOLD TO OBEY IS BETTER THAN SACRIFICE." SAMUEL DENOUNCING SAUL 134 Washed drawing. (Basel Museum.) From a photograph in the Rischgitz Collection.

27. JÖRG (OR GEORGE) GYZE 142 Oils. (Berlin Museum.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

28. "THE AMBASSADORS" 146 Oils. (National Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

29. THE MORETT PORTRAIT 152 Oils. (Dresden Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

30. QUEEN JANE SEYMOUR 158 Oils. (Vienna Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

31. KING HENRY VIII. AND HIS FATHER 160 Fragment of cartoon used for the Whitehall wall-painting. (Duke of Devonshire's Collection.)

32. KING HENRY VIII. 162 (Life Study; probably for the Whitehall Painting.) Chalks. (Munich Collection.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

33. DESIGN FOR THE "JANE SEYMOUR CUP" 164 (Bodleian Library.)

34. CHRISTINA OF DENMARK, DUCHESS OF MILAN 166 Oils. (National Gallery.) Lent by the Duke of Norfolk.

35. ANNE OF CLEVES 172 Oils. (The Louvre.) From a photograph by A. Giraudon, Paris.

36. THOMAS HOWARD, THIRD DUKE OF NORFOLK 174 Oils. (Windsor Castle.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

37. CATHERINE HOWARD 176 Chalk drawing. (Windsor Castle.)

38. DR. CHAMBER 180 Oils. (Vienna Gallery.) From a photograph by F. Hanfstaengl.

HOLBEIN[1]