Self Portrait Hans The Younger Holbein

Description of Hans Holbein’s painting "Self-Portrait

The artist creates a small self-portrait. In doing so, he uses parsimonious means. It is to these that he resorts more and more frequently in his work.

Traditionally, Holbein depicted his models against a completely neutral background. But here he makes it golden, to remind him of the Middle Ages. In those times, this color was a symbol of heaven. This technique allows the image to be translated into a kind of sublime plane.

Holbein captures every detail of his appearance as clearly as possible. His face is a little wide, his eyes slightly squinted, and his fluffy beard is of short length.

The gaze impresses with a particular concentration. We can see that an incredibly sincere interest in all that is going on in them. But this look can only be that of a man who is accustomed to looking at everything from an incredibly wide angle. This is how a true artist looks at the world. The up-close gaze allows for a very broad panorama.

Holbein portrays himself half-turned. But at the same time the viewer feels the inquisitive gaze of his wise dark eyes. Correct features and tightly pressed lips tell us that the painter is a strong-willed man. You can feel his wisdom and a special view of the world.

The painter skillfully uses colors. His brush strokes are strikingly expressive. The shades of brown and blue create a special harmony. Holbein paints an incredibly lively portrait. It seems that in another moment, and the artist will smile to the audience or say something.

What we have before us is the masterful work of a portrait painter. Before painting each picture, the artist first observed the model. In doing so, he sought to highlight the main features of the person. As a result, he gave a very accurate and necessarily complete characterization. In the same way he worked on his self-portrait. As a result he manages to notice the main features of his character and depict them.