DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48088#0556
HANS HOLBEIN
(Father and Son).
No other artist of his period can dispute the first rank with Albrecht Diirer, but Hans
Holbein the younger may be placed on an equality with him. If Diirer’s genius be more
powerful and comprehensive, Holbein adds a wonderful completion to it, and even excels Diirer
in the qualities peculiar to a painter; his eye for colour and comprehension of form, being more
perfect. However powerful Diirer’s depth of thought may be, an excess of fancy is frequently
united with it, which detracts from the repose of the composition, whilst in Holbein, on the other
hand, there is never such discordance between the intellectual meaning and the external form:
the mind in accordance with nature, which was acquired by Diirer after long effort, was natural
to him; thus he is the true heir of the style, founded by Hubert van Eyck, since whose time the
northern realism had never been developed with such freedom and power, and yet with the
necessary limitations of the correct laws of beauty, as with Holbein. Thus he brought German
renaissance art to the highest perfection, of which it is capable, and at the same time elevated
himself above all natural limitations, whilst Diirer remained distinctively German; Holbein’s
genius belongs to the entire world of modern humanity, just as the artist’s external life was
never circumscribed by the limits of his native land.
The elder Hans Holbein merits part of the renown which has hitherto been ascribed only
to the son. Through him, the son found an important part of the work accomplished which
Diirer was forced to undertake unaided. Hans Holbein the father had already completed the
breach with the middle ages, and had safely piloted his bark through its conventionalities.
The situation and activity of his home at Augsburg favoured his work. The splendid old
Imperial City, great by means of its trade and manufactories, lay on the road to Italy and was
the most important centre for trade and intercourse with the South. A rich and splendid life
was developed within its walls, and gave to it, more than to any other German city, the character
of a city of the world. The Emperors, and especially Maximilian, loved to hold their court in
it, and a number of Imperial diets assembled within its walls Powerful and distinguished men,
from far and near, assembled there, whilst, on the other hand, Augsburg merchants went long
distances in pursuit of their trade. The Augsburg Merchants were the first to rig out vessels
for the East Indian trade, they also stood in intimate relationship with the trading cities of the
Low Countries and Italy, especially with Venice. In the same way as members of the Fugger
family went thither for purposes of trade, so painters, for example, Hans Burgkmair, crossed the
(Father and Son).
No other artist of his period can dispute the first rank with Albrecht Diirer, but Hans
Holbein the younger may be placed on an equality with him. If Diirer’s genius be more
powerful and comprehensive, Holbein adds a wonderful completion to it, and even excels Diirer
in the qualities peculiar to a painter; his eye for colour and comprehension of form, being more
perfect. However powerful Diirer’s depth of thought may be, an excess of fancy is frequently
united with it, which detracts from the repose of the composition, whilst in Holbein, on the other
hand, there is never such discordance between the intellectual meaning and the external form:
the mind in accordance with nature, which was acquired by Diirer after long effort, was natural
to him; thus he is the true heir of the style, founded by Hubert van Eyck, since whose time the
northern realism had never been developed with such freedom and power, and yet with the
necessary limitations of the correct laws of beauty, as with Holbein. Thus he brought German
renaissance art to the highest perfection, of which it is capable, and at the same time elevated
himself above all natural limitations, whilst Diirer remained distinctively German; Holbein’s
genius belongs to the entire world of modern humanity, just as the artist’s external life was
never circumscribed by the limits of his native land.
The elder Hans Holbein merits part of the renown which has hitherto been ascribed only
to the son. Through him, the son found an important part of the work accomplished which
Diirer was forced to undertake unaided. Hans Holbein the father had already completed the
breach with the middle ages, and had safely piloted his bark through its conventionalities.
The situation and activity of his home at Augsburg favoured his work. The splendid old
Imperial City, great by means of its trade and manufactories, lay on the road to Italy and was
the most important centre for trade and intercourse with the South. A rich and splendid life
was developed within its walls, and gave to it, more than to any other German city, the character
of a city of the world. The Emperors, and especially Maximilian, loved to hold their court in
it, and a number of Imperial diets assembled within its walls Powerful and distinguished men,
from far and near, assembled there, whilst, on the other hand, Augsburg merchants went long
distances in pursuit of their trade. The Augsburg Merchants were the first to rig out vessels
for the East Indian trade, they also stood in intimate relationship with the trading cities of the
Low Countries and Italy, especially with Venice. In the same way as members of the Fugger
family went thither for purposes of trade, so painters, for example, Hans Burgkmair, crossed the