232 
HOLBEIN IN GERMANY. 
[Nature and Art, December 1, I960, 
always held fast to the old faith. He looks like a 
man strong enough for revolutionary times. In 
the original sketches (which are photographed) his 
own features are not cpiite so coarse as in the engrav- 
ing, his crisply curled hair is liner, and there is more 
bonhommie about his mouth ; and his wife’s plain 
household dignity is much more refined and win- 
ning. But there are only indications of the other 
details, with notes of the colours. The notes on 
the first sketch are deciphered by Dr. Woltmann : 
they run thus — “Eyes black, barret-cap red, (hair) 
nut-colour, brows yellower than the hair, eyelashes 
like the brows.” In the painting the black coat is 
strongly contrasted by this bright red cap. His 
wife’s dress is red, deeply bordered with black : the 
gold embroidery of the chemisette, and its pendent 
white silk plaits and liossy tassels, are worked out 
with minute delicacy. The clear ruddy browns of 
the flesh-colour give a warm effect to each picture. 
"We need hardly add that the pillars and vaultings 
of the background are in the style of the Renaissance. 
Holbein was lucky in obtaining such sitters at 
the outset of his career. It is probable, however, 
that he and his elder brother took good introduc- 
tory letters Avith them ; for they were not only 
sons of a famous painter, but their uncle Sigmund 
(the same Avliose honest beard we described, as 
figuring in an Augsburg sketch-book) Avas now an 
artist of repute at Bern. And at Basle there Avas 
no lack of employment. The printing-presses Avere 
busily at work ; and their chiefs were ripe scholars 
and patrons of art. They had just lost Johann 
Amerbacli, avIio first adapted the Italian into our 
OAvn modern type, and avIio Avas himself an editor of 
the Fathers. But there remained others as eminent. 
We need only mention one, Johann Froben (Fro- 
benius). Holbein’s portrait of him is here said to 
be lost ; but two old copies of it remain, at Basle 
and at Hampton Court. His noble brain was a 
jewel in an ugly setting. His portrait has scanty 
hair to sIioav, and that only at the back of the 
head ; his homely features and Avrinkled brow are 
bare. Yet Ave can see beauty in his face, when we 
think of Avhat Ave have read of him. He was a 
single-hearted man, more bent upon perfecting his 
books than making money by them. When Eras- 
mus committed to him his new editions of his OAvn 
Adagia, and of the New Testament, the happiness 
of Froben Avas approaching its climax. One autumn 
evening, in 1513, a messenger came to him, avIio 
was soon discovered to be Erasmus himself. Fro- 
ben’s excitement may be imagined : he Avould 
hardly trust him out of the house, or let him go 
back to Louvain. Erasmus returned to the house 
year after year, for months at a time ; and settled 
there finally in 1521, until Froben’s cleatli in 1527. 
This Avas probably the only man Avhom Erasmus 
eA r er loved and lamented Avith all his heart. His 
friendship must have been more precious than 
Meier's ; and Ave find that Holbein Avorked for 
him in 1516, perhaps before he painted the portrait 
of the burgomaster. 
In designing for book ornamentation, two of Hans 
Holbein’s competitors were his brother and TJrs 
Graf. They made meritorious designs ; but those 
of Ambrosius Holbein look cramped, and those of 
ITrs Graf coarse, as soon as one turns to the bold 
and graceful lines of Hans Holbein. His scroll- 
Avork is said to have been founded on that of Hans 
Burgkmair ; and it is possible that others may have 
matched him, so far ; but there can be no mistake 
about the hand, if the design has anything living in 
it. He is fond of naked boys ; and so are Ave, 
A\dien they are draAvn by Holbein ; whether they are 
strutting in procession Avith their shoulders under a 
shield, and the boy-king standing on it, or clamber- 
ing 0A r er one another, and up pillars enAvreatlied 
with vine or apple branches. There is one head-piece 
that naturally reminds us of the Nonnes Preestes 
tale. A fox is scampering off Avith a goose, and turn- 
ing his head round at a village swordsman, avIio is 
close at his heels, folloAved by boors Avith flail and 
spade, and a girl Avith a rake. Chaucer’s verses are 
not a Avhit more lively. These designs Avere some- 
times rather muddled by the engravers on metal : 
the wood-engraA r ers Avere more completely masters 
of their material. The best of them all, perhaps, 
was Hans Liitzelburger ; to him Avas intrusted 
that master-piece, the full-length of Erasmus under 
a triumphal arch, standing Avith his right hand on 
a terminal figure ; and he engraved the great 
scholar in a way that must actually have satisfied 
the loving soul of Johann Froben. 
Both as designer and painter, Ambrosius has 
only been remembered for the sake of his younger 
brother. His known paintings are few and little 
esteemed. One is a tasteless imitation of Albert 
Durer’s Greater Passion ; another, far better, con- 
tains the portraits of two boys in yellow : their faces 
are rather flat and unshapely (say the critics), yet 
simple and engaging in expression. His decora- 
tions belong to the same school as his brother’s ; 
and, like him, he inherited his father’s skill in 
handling the silver point. On the 24th of February, 
1517, “Ambrosz Holbain,” painter, of Augsburg, 
Avas admitted into the guild, Avhere painters, saddlers, 
and barbers were enrolled together. Nothing more 
appears of him, except the date of 1518 upon a 
drawing. 
Three more years elapsed before the guild re- 
ceded Hans Holbein. It may very Avell be that 
he Avas then leading a roving life. There are 
tokens of his having painted at Zurich about this 
period ; and one of the three years was probably 
spent at Lucern. In the latter toAvn there once ex- 
isted many church-paintings by him, the Adoration 
of the Shepherds, and other scenes of the life of 
Christ. But his principal labour there Avas em- 
ployed upon the house of the Justice (Schultheisz), 
Jakob von Hertenstein. What between oil and 
fresco, he filled it inside and out. But not a trace 
or memorial of his Avork remains, except one small 
fragment of fresco, a study of one figure, and some 
slight sketches made by an amateur. The house Avas 
pulled down in 1824. Dr. Woltmann observes that 
it is only of late that the Germans have held wall- 
painting in any esteem. The Council of Basle told 
Holbein (in 1538) that his art Avas far too precious 
