Hans Holbein the Younger
Erasmus Writing
From $80
This painting is gold, warm brown and skin tones, and a cheap copy flattens the face. Our Holbein Self-Portrait print was graded from a high-resolution master so every hair of the beard stays sharp.
Canvas, framed or paper
Stretched canvas. Printed on cotton canvas and stretched taut over a frame. The edges are mirror-wrapped, so the picture continues around the sides and none of it is lost to the fold.
Framed canvas. The same canvas, set in a black, white, natural wood or dark wood frame 0.83 in deep. The frame gives the work a finished edge and a little more presence on the wall.
Framed print. Printed on fine art matte paper and framed in solid pine, behind shatterproof plexiglass, in black, white, natural wood or dark wood. It arrives ready to hang. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame.
Fine art print. Printed on 310gsm fine art matte paper, for framing your own way. It travels rolled and protected. From 18x24 inch.
Sizes
12x16 inch, 18x24 inch, 30x40 inch. Framed sizes are measured on the outside of the frame, so the visible painting is a little smaller.
On your wall
Its tall shape suits a study, a hallway or a living room wall. The golds and browns look rich with cream, slate and walnut, and a gold or dark walnut frame suits it.
About the painting
Self-Portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger
A drawing
This is a small drawing in coloured chalks, made in about 1542 to 1543, near the end of Holbein’s life. It has since been enlarged and reworked, and the gold background and inscription were added later.
In a mirror
His direct gaze suggests he drew himself in a mirror. A copy by Lucas Horenbout shows him, left-handed, holding a brush. Every strand of hair is drawn one by one.
Florence
He died in London in 1543. The drawing was bought in London for Grand Duke Cosimo III de’ Medici in 1681 and is in the Uffizi.
Read the story
A bearded man in a soft brown cap looks straight out at us. His eyes are steady, his face lined. Every strand of his beard and hair is drawn, one by one.
This is Hans Holbein, the painter of Henry the Eighth's court, drawn by himself in about 1542 or 1543, near the end of his life.
He was looking into a mirror. You can tell from the direct, slightly searching gaze.
A copy of this drawing, made by another court artist, Lucas Horenbout, shows Holbein holding a paintbrush in his left hand. He was left-handed.
The drawing has had a hard life. It has been enlarged on all sides and heavily reworked. The gold background and the lettering were added later, by someone else. But enough of Holbein's own drawing survives for experts to accept it as his.
Not long after, in 1543, Holbein died in London, aged about forty-five.
In 1681 the drawing was bought in London for the Grand Duke of Tuscany, and it is in the Uffizi in Florence.
Look at the eyes.
Self-Portrait. Hans Holbein the Younger, about 1542 to 1543.
How each piece is brought to life
Faithful to the original, and made to be felt on your wall.
Graded against the original
We compare every work with the original as we grade it, keeping the artist’s colours true while bringing back their depth and glow. Every mark stays the artist’s own.
Printed for you
Printed to order on cotton canvas or fine art paper, then framed if you chose a frame, in 1 to 3 business days.
On your wall
It arrives 5 to 12 business days later, tracked and free anywhere in the US. Framed pieces come ready to hang.
Questions
Is this the original painting?
No. The original hangs in a museum. What you receive is a fine art reproduction, remastered from the original and printed for you, with every mark where the artist left it.
Will the colour look flat?
This is where most reproductions disappoint, and it is where we spend the most time. Each work is graded side by side with the original: faithful to the artist’s colours, with the depth and warmth brought back, so it moves you on the wall the way it was meant to. Canvas reads a touch softer than a backlit screen, and every screen shows colour a little differently.
Will the edges be cropped?
Each size is a standard frame size, so we fit the painting by trimming a little from its edges. We never stretch or squash it, and we check every size by eye so no face, figure or signature is cut. On canvas the edges are mirror-wrapped, which keeps the whole picture on the front.
Which size is right for my wall?
Aim for about two-thirds the width of the furniture beneath it. Over a sofa or a sideboard, one of the two largest sizes will hold the wall. The size guide lists every size in inches and centimetres, with the kind of wall each one suits.
How long does it take?
Your piece is printed in 1–3 business days, then spends 5–12 business days in transit, tracked all the way. Delivery is free anywhere in the US. We are unable to deliver to PO boxes.
What if it arrives damaged?
Send us a photograph and we will remake it and send it again. There is nothing to return.
Can I return it?
Yes, within 30 days of delivery. Our returns policy has the details.
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Printed to order
Graded against the original, then printed for you on cotton canvas or fine art paper in 1–3 business days.
The whole painting
Every mark is the artist’s own, and canvas edges are mirror-wrapped so the whole picture stays on the front.
Free US shipping
On every order, tracked, 5–12 business days in transit.
30-day returns
Returns and exchanges within 30 days of delivery.
