Hans Holbein

In this richly illustrated biography, listeners are taken back to the bustling workshops of early‑sixteenth‑century Augsburg, where a young Hans Holbein first learned the trade under the watchful eye of his father, a respected court painter. The narrative traces the family’s artistic lineage, showing how the elder Holbein’s gradual embrace of Italian Renaissance ideas paved the way for his son’s extraordinary eye for detail and character. As the apprentice absorbs techniques from the Van Eycks to the early Venetians, the younger Holbein begins to emerge, hinting at the mastery that will later define his name.

The story then follows Hans and his brother Ambrosius as they leave their hometown for Basel, a vibrant centre of humanist printing and scholarship. There, a pivotal commission from the renowned publisher Johann Froben introduces them to the world of book illustration, allowing the younger Holbein to hone his skill in rendering personalities with a few decisive strokes. These formative years set the foundation for a career that would soon bridge the worlds of portraiture, religious art, and courtly intrigue.