HOLBEIN.

HIS distinguished artist, whose memoirs and whose works are so interesting to our country, has generally been said to have been born at Basle, in 1498; but the historian, M. Hubert, thinks it more probable that he was a native of Augsburg, in which city his father resided at the time of his birth, as appears from an inscription on the picture of St. Paul: "This work was completed by John Holbein, a citizen of Augsburg, in 1499." However this may be, his father soon afterwards settled at Basle, where he resided the remainder of his life. The young Hans, or John Holbein, was instructed in the art by his father, and at the early age of fourteen, gave proof of uncommon capacity in the portraits he painted of his father and himself, in 1512, which are engraved in Straidrart's Academia, and which, if they have not been greatly improved by the engraver, must have been very extraordinary performances for a boy. He had acquired considerable celebrity, particularly in portraits, when an English nobleman, (supposed to have been the Earl of Surrey), travelling through Switzerland to Italy, was so struck with the beauty of his pictures, that he sat to him, and invited him to visit England, where his talent would be esteemed and rewarded, and promised him a favourable reception from Henry VIII. Holbein did not, however, at that time listen to the proposal. A few years after, Erasmus, visiting Basle, for the purpose of superintending the publication of some of his works, formed an intimacy with Holbein, who painted his portrait. Erasmus used every persuasion to induce him to visit England, and at length prevailed. He presented him with a letter of introduction to Sir Thomas More, to whom he sent the portrait he had just painted, as a specimen of his ability. On his arrival in England, in 1526, Sir Thomas received him with all possible kindness, and accommodated him with apartments in his own house at Chelsea, where he employed him for some time in painting the portraits of himself, his family, and friends, with other considerable works. Whilst he was living with the chancellor, he happened to mention the circumstance of his having been invited to visit England by a nobleman, previous to his being advised to do so by Erasmus, and Sir Thomas was extremely solicitous to know who he was. Holbein replied, that he had forgot the title, but he had such a remembrance of his features, that he thought he could draw his likeness from memory, which he did so well that it was immediately recognised. The chancellor having richly decorated his apartments with Holbein's pictures, was desirous of introducing him to his royal master, in the manner most likely to secure him the favour and protection of Henry VIII. He accordingly arranged his pictures in the most advantageous order in the great hall, and invited his majesty to an entertainment. On the king's entrance, he was prodigiously struck with the beauty of the paintings, and expressed his admiration of them in such terms, that Sir Thomas requested his majesty would

deign to accept of whatever he most liked; but the king enquiring anxiously after the artist, the chancellor introduced Holbein to him, who received him in the most gracious manner, observing, "that now he had got the painter, Sir Thomas might keep his pictures." Henry immediately took him into his service, ordered apartments to be allotted him in the palace, with a liberal salary, besides the price he was to be paid for his pictures. Holbein painted the king several times, and the portraits of the principal persons of the court. On the death of Jane Seymour, Holbein was sent to Flanders, to draw the portrait of Christiana, Duchess Dowager of Milan, widow of Francis Sforza, whom Charles V. had recommended to Henry for a fourth wife. Among the Harleian manuscripts, is a letter from Sir Thomas Wyatt to the king, congratulating him on his escape, as the duchess's chastity was a little equivocal.

The works of Holbein are extremely numerous; and, besides those that are genuine, a number of wretched productions are attributed to him, which are totally unworthy of him. Of Holbein's historical works little is known in England, where he was chiefly employed in portraits, or in what may be called historical portraits. The two emblematical subjects of Riches and Poverty, formerly in the hall of the Company of the Steelyard, are extremely doubtful. Of his public works in England, the most considerable is the celebrated picture in Surgeon's Hall, of Henry VIII. granting the charter to the Company of Surgeons. The character of the king is admirably represented, and all the heads are finely drawn. Another large picture by Holbein, is in the hall of Bridewell, representing Edward VI. delivering to the Lord Mayor the royal charter, by which he gave up his palace of Bridewell, to be converted into an hospital and workhouse. There are many genuine portraits by him in the mansions of the nobility. At Basle, in the town-house, are eight pictures of the Passion of our Saviour; and in the library of the University, a Dead Christ, painted on pannel, in 1521. Some doubts have been entertained respecting the celebrated "Dance of Death" having been originally designed by Holbein; but these have been occasioned by confounding the set of prints of the "Dance of Death," engraved by Matthew Merian, after a much older master than Holbein, with the wooden cuts, by that master, after his own designs, the originals of which are preserved in the public library at Basle. Holbein painted in oil, distemper, and sometimes in miniature, which last he is said to have learned in England, from Lucas Cornelii, and carried it to the highest perfection. Some of these are now in possession of our gracious Queen Victoria, and most beautiful they are. The portraits of Holbein are distinguished by a pure and simple design, particularly characteristic of his model; his carnations are tender and clear, and his heads, without much shadow, have a surprising relief. In the reign of George II Queen Caroline discovered, in a bureau, an invaluable collection of Holbein's drawings of the portraits of the most illustrious personages of the court of Henry VIII. They had formerly belonged to Charles I. They remain in the royal collection; there are about ninety of them, some of which are extremely fine. Several of them have been admirably engraved, in the style of the original drawings, by Bartolozzi.

As an engraver on wood, Holbein deserves particular notice. He began to practise that art as early as 1511, when he was thirteen years of age, and before his departure for Switzerland, had executed a great number of wooden In these he was employed by the most celebrated publishers of his time at Basle, Zurich, Lyons, and at Leyden. Of his productions as an

cuts.