Hans Holbein (HOHL bine) the Younger was a German
artist. He was
the son of a famous artist. His father was called Hans Holbein the
Elder. Hans the Younger is famous for his religious paintings and his
paintings of the royal family. He painted portraits of King Henry the
VIII and his wives.
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Holbein married the widow of a soldier in 1519 and
they had four
children. Her name was Elsbeth. Their son, Philip,
grew up to be a gold and silversmith in the court of Emperor
Maximilian. Hans and his wife lived apart for many years
and she raised the children alone. She finally became so poor that she
had to sell the painting that he had done of her and the
children.
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In his earlier years Holbein designed woodcuts and
provided the
illustrations for Martin Luther's German translation of the Bible. He
also made stained glass and jewelry.
He designed robes, buttons, and buckles for the royal families.
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Our featured painting is a portrait of Edward VI
Prince of Wales. He
was the son of the king of England, King Henry VIII and his third wife,
Jane Seymour. She died shortly after the birth of Edward, and King
Henry married again. In fact, he had a total of six wives and the last
one outlived him.
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