HOLBEIN, Jot-tic, or HANs, an eminent painter, was born at Basle, in Switzerland, in the year 1498. He was instructed in the art by his father John Holbein, whom he very soon surpassed. Holbein was the particular friend of the celebrated Erasmus. At his request he visited Lon don, where he was patronised by Sir Thomas More, to whom Erasmus had introduced him. Sir Thomas employ ed him in painting the whole of his family, and several of his relations and friends, and he allowed him an apartment in his own house, where he continued for three years. When King Henry VIII. saw these performances, he was so much struck with the talent which they displayed, that he took Holbein into his service, and honoured him with his patronage and kindness during the rest of his life.
It is a singular circumstance, that Holbein always paint ed with his left hand. He succeeded equally in oil, wa ter colours, and distemper. After he arrived in England, he learned the art of miniature painting from Lucas Cornelii, and carried it to a very high degree of perfection.
In the Florentine collection, are the portraits of Martin Luther, Sir Thomas More, Richard Southwcll, and of Holbcin, all painted by our author. The " Sacrifice of Abraham," which has been much admired, is in the cabi net of the King of France, along with several portraits exe cuted by Holbein.
In the library of the university of Basle arc several of Holbcin's works in the highest preservation. A few are preserved, which he painted before he was 15 years old; one of which he drew upon a sign for a writing-master. The portraits of himself, his wife, and children, in the same group, are much esteemed. The' other pictures of Holbein in this collection are, the Passion of our Saviour, in eight compartments ; the Institution of the Supper ; the Body of our Saviour after the Crucifixion ; a Lucretia ; a Venus ; a Cupid ; and portraits of Erasmus and Ammer bach. Erasmus is represented as writing his Commen
tary upon Matthew. In the same library arc preserved a copy of Erasmus's E!oge de la Folk, which he had pre sented to Holbein, who ornamented the margin of it with very interesting sketches, done with the pen. An edition of this work was published at Basle, in 1676, by Charles Path), who got the original sketches copied by Stettler of Berne, and engraved by Melia». A new edition of this work, in Latin, French, and German, with facsimiles of the original designs engraven on wood, was published by M. Haas in 1780. The paintings of Holbein on the organ of the cathedral are still to be seen.
The Dance of Death, on the walls of the cemetery of the Dominicans at Basle, was not painted, as has often been said, by Holbcin, but by John Klauber, at the desire of the council, when the plague ravaged that city. These walls were pulled down in 1805. The paintings had been restored in 1558, 1616, 1658, and 1703. Since the year 1792, they have been almost entirely effaced. From these paintings it is probable that Ilolbein took the idea of com posing the famous drawings of the Dance of Death ; in which he has shown so much judgment and imagination. that even Rubens condescended to study and copy them. It consisted of 44 designs, done with the pen, and slightly shaded with Indian ink. These designs were engraved by Haller, and more recently by M. de Mechel, a celebrated artist of Basle. The originals were sold, along with the famous collection of Crozat at Paris, to M. Fleichman of Strasburg. In the reign of the Emperor Joseph II. the Prince Gallitzin, the Russian ambassador at Vienna, pur chased them, and carried them to St Petersburg. Hal bein died in the year 1554, in the 56th year of his age. See Coxe's Travels in Switzerland, vol. i. p. 162.