Hans Holbein the Younger

Overview

Hans Holbein the Younger (c. 1497-1543), German painter and draughtsman of the Northern Renaissance, active in Basel and at the court of Henry VIII in London; best known for his portraits (Erasmus, Thomas More, Henry VIII, Anne of Cleves). The Louvre has several of them, among them the Erasmus and the Anne of Cleves. Source: Wikipedia, "Hans Holbein the Younger".

Relevance to Marie

In Marie's usage "un Holbein" stands for drawing that is close, exact and hard-edged ("serré"), the opposite of loose or sketchy work:

• 19 April 1878: imagining she might study a great love like a drawing, "Ce serait serré comme un Holbein auquel on me compare" (079.0462). Who made the comparison is not said.
• 7 February 1881: of a portrait head, "ça a tout à fait l'air d'un Holbein, on s'y tromperait... je n'adore pas ça. Pourquoi imiter ?" (091/1881-02-07); the entry's footnote reads it as Bastien-Lepage's drift toward Holbein pastiche.
• 23 January 1883: of a Clemenceau speech, "c'est serré comme un Holbein" (098/1883-01-23).

References in Diary

• First mentioned: 1878-04-19 (079.0462)
• Also: 1881-02-07 (091), 1883-01-23 (098)