Hans Holbein the Younger: From Basel to the Tudor Court (Part 1)

How did Hans Holbein become court painter to Henry VIII, one of the most notorious monarchs in British history? Without his stunning portraits would the Tudor period burn so brightly in the imagination? Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein, an artist from a small town in southern Germany ended up kickstarting the story of British art. If you want to see the artworks discussed in this episode you can switch on video in your podcast app at any time. Artworks in this episode include: Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Self Portrait, c.1542-43, Uffizi Gallery, Florence Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Sir Thomas More, 1527, Frick Collection, New York Hans Holbein the Younger, Study for a Portrait of Thomas More’s Family, c. 1527, Kunstmuseum, Basel To see images of the artworks in this episode go to heni.com/storiesofart or visit the Heni Talks YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@HENITalks Hosts: Alastair Sooke and Dr James Fox Additional Research: Catherine Ingram Producer and Editor: Ben Harding Executive Producer: Emma Cahusac Chapters 00:00:00 Introduction: The Ambassadors and Holbein's Legacy 00:04:36 Early Life in Augsburg: A Family of Artists 00:09:54 Moving to Basel 00:12:03 Holbein the Man: Brawls and Beer 00:16:08 The Erasmus Portraits: A Career-Defining Commission 00:26:48 Journey to England: From Basel to the Tudor Court 00:30:13 Tudor England: A Provincial Power with Growing Ambitions 00:34:13 Sir Thomas More: Holbein's First Great English Patron 00:41:12 The Greenwich Revels 00:46:47 Departure from England: An Unfinished Story