Hans Holbein the Younger: Portraits of the Steelyard Merchants

"Hans Holbein the Younger was commissioned to paint eight portraits in England of the members of the Steelyard, the German business community in London. Through these individual commissions, he was able to reestablish his reputation and in 1536 he was appointed court painter to Henry VIII.

The eight portraits are those of Georg Gisze, Hans of Antwerp, and Hermann Edigh, a Member of the Wedigh Fmaily, Dirk Tybis, Cyriacus Kale, Derich Born, and Derick Berck. Inscriptions, dates, coats foarms and merchant marks allow us to identify his sitters with some degree of assurance. For example a heraldic ring on the left index finger in 'Portrait of a Member of the Wedigh Family' indicates that this is a member of the rich Cologne merchant family, the Wedighs, possibly Hermann Hillebrandt.

"Portrait of a Member of the Wedigh Family"
by Hans Holbein the Younger

The 'Portrait of Derich Born' is an innovative composition in the development of portrait painting in northern Europe.. The Latin inscription chiseled in the parapet makes the high artistic ambition clear: 'If you add the voice, Derich is here in person, so that you will doubt whether the painter or the Creator made him.' Some see this as a challenge to Erasmus' praise of Albrecht Durer, who saw in him a 'new Apelles' who had mastered the almost impossible task of painting a human voice.

"Portrait of Derich Born"
by Hans Holbein the Younger

 

 

The merchants were obviously satisfied with Holbein's portraits because they commissioned other large-scale works from him including two monumental paintings for the decoration of their assembly hall, depicting the 'Triumph of Wealth' and the Triumph of Poverty.'These allegorical pictures which reminded the merchants that their wealth would not endure if they were immoderate in its use and that good and ill fortune were equally subject to the caprices of fate. 

In about December 1609 the works were presented to Henry, Prince of Wales (who died in 1612) and thence entered the Earl of Arundel's collection in Holland via Charles I in 1641. They were destroyed by fire at Kremsier Castle in 1752. Two sets of copies now exist, of which the coloured version by Lucas Vorsterman the Elder in Oxford is considered the most accurate."

"Triumph of Wealth" by Hans Holbein the Younger

To be continued

(Excerpts from "Hans Holbein" by Stephanie Buck and "Holbein's Portraits of the Steelyard Merchants: An Investigation" by Thomas S. Holman.