Holbein's Inscriptions
The nature, source, and implications of the several styles of inscriptions and their dates which Holbein used to identify his sitters are the concern here. Emulation of Roman coins or medals seems a given, but the evidence does not exist; Roman coin inscriptions range the circumference unlike Holbei...
| Published in: | The sixteenth century journal |
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| Main Author: | |
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sixteenth Century Journal Publishers, Inc.
1993
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| In: |
The sixteenth century journal
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| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Parallel Edition: | Non-electronic
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| Summary: | The nature, source, and implications of the several styles of inscriptions and their dates which Holbein used to identify his sitters are the concern here. Emulation of Roman coins or medals seems a given, but the evidence does not exist; Roman coin inscriptions range the circumference unlike Holbein's flanking inscriptions. A possible model is the Flemish painter Metsys' 1519 Erasmus medal; here Roman capitals flank the head. Holbein had used Roman capitals off to the side earlier, but he also used the cartellino, the scrap of paper with contemporary lettering, used earliest (1497) by Durer. Holbein shows the cartellino by 1527 and conspicuously by 1532 and 1533 in the Gisze portrait and The Ambassadors. But by 1532 he had developed his last variant, the inscription with Roman capitals flanking the head on either side. This development may have been influenced by northern portrait medals. The use of classical letter forms suggesting the power of contemporary letters is seen in numerous German painted portraits and particularly in widely circulated engravings, especially those by Durer. The print medium, the North's great contribution to the future, also reflects the intellectual tenor of the times, to which Holbein responded. |
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| ISSN: | 2326-0726 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The sixteenth century journal
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.2307/2541954 |