
Hans HolbeinGerman, 1497–1543May one see it?
Amsterdam, Netherlands
The owner is known. Whether it is on view today, the museum does not say, and we were not trained to guess.
c. 1522
Son born: Philipp Holbein I
1524
Journey to France
He visited France, probably in search of work at the court of Francis I; there he may have seen the portrait drawings of Jean Clouet, whose technique of drawing in colored chalks he adopted.
1526
Departure for England on Erasmus's Recommendation
On the advice of Erasmus of Rotterdam he set out for England in search of work, visiting France and the Netherlands on the way; Erasmus recommended him to Thomas More.
1526
Received into Thomas More's Humanist Circle
In England he was received by Sir Thomas More, who found him a series of commissions; in the humanist circle Holbein quickly won a high reputation. More wrote to Erasmus: "Your painter is a wonderful artist."
August 1528
Return to Basel, Purchase of a House
He returned to Basel and bought a house in the St. Johanns-Vorstadt, becoming a neighbor of the publisher Hieronymus Froben; in 1531, having grown wealthy from his English commissions, he bought the adjoining house as well.