Who painted Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man was painted by Hans Holbein the Younger.

Where can I see Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man is held by Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

What movement is Portrait of a Man?

Portrait of a Man is associated with Northern Renaissance.

Can I buy a print of Portrait of a Man?

Museum-quality prints of Portrait of a Man are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Portrait of a Man

Hans Holbein the Younger

Portrait of a Man is an oil painting by the Northern Renaissance artist Hans Holbein the Younger. It is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp.

About this work

Subject & Meaning

The painting depicts a man presented in three-quarter view, a standard convention in Northern Renaissance portraiture intended to convey lifelike presence.

The painting depicts a man presented in three-quarter view, a standard convention in Northern Renaissance portraiture intended to convey lifelike presence. The subject’s sober expression and direct gaze align with contemporaneous ideals of dignified reserve rather than overt display of status. No overt attributes such as emblems or inscriptions identify him as a specific historical figure, and the work offers no explicit iconographic program beyond the portrayal of an individual.

As a posthumous variant after Holbein’s earlier compositions, the Antwerp panel likely perpetuates a type established by the artist rather than commemorating a particular sitter.

Technique & Style

The work is an oil painting created on a wooden panel. Executed in the mid-sixteenth century, it depicts the sitter Richard Williams and exemplifies the formal conventions of early Tudor portraiture through its precise rendering of facial features and controlled modelling of light. The surface condition remains stable, with no documented losses or later interventions recorded in the catalogue entry.

History & Provenance

The work titled Portrait of a Man was created by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1550 as an oil painting on panel, depicting the sitter Richard Williams. It entered the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it remains on display today.

The painting’s provenance is documented through its acquisition by the museum, forming part of the Vlaamse Kunstcollectie.

Portrait of a Man is held in the collection of the Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp, where it is recorded under the inventory number of the institution's Flemish Kunstcollectie.

The work was displayed in the museum's 2018 exhibition "Holbein: Portraiture and Power" and subsequently featured in the 2022 retrospective "Hans Holbein II: Master of the Northern Renaissance" at the same venue.

Overview

This oil painting, created by Hans Holbein the Younger around 1550, is a representative work of the Northern Renaissance style. It is a portrait of a man, identified as Richard Williams.