© Great Works of Western Art
1497–8 Born in Augsburg. Date of birth uncertain. Holbein came from a family of artists, his father and uncle were also accomplished painters.
1517 Holbein is working in Lucerne with his father and possibly visits Italy.
1519 He becomes a master in the Basel guild of painters.
1521 He is commissioned to paint murals on the theme of Justice for the Council Chamber at Basel.
1523 Paints several portraits of Erasmus.
1524 Visits France.
1526 Holbein leaves Basel and travels via Antwerp to London armed with a letter of introduction from Erasmus to Sir Thomas More.
1527 Paints this portrait of Sir Thomas More and other friends of Erasmus.
1528 Returns to Basel.
1530 Completes the murals in the Council Chamber at Basel.
1532 Returns to England where he found that More was out of favor.
1533 Holbein gains the patronage of the Hanseatic merchants of the Steel yard and through them he probably meets Thomas Cromwell who may have been instrumental in obtaining for him the commission for The Ambassadors.
1536 First recorded as the king’s painter. He is salaried but retains a private clientele.
1537 Paints a portrait of Jane Seymour.
1538 Commissioned to paint prospective brides for the king, including the portrait of Christina of Denmark now in the National Gallery, London. Makes a brief visit to Basel while traveling for these commissions.
1543 Dies in London.
1519 Bonifacius Amerbach, Basel, Kunstmuseum 1523 Erasmus of Rotterdam., Paris, Musée du Louvre
1527 Sir Thomas More, New York, Frick Collection
1528 Artist's Wife and two Elder Children, Basel, Kunstmuseum
1528 Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling, London, National Gallery
1528 Thomas and John Godsalve, Dresden, Gemäldegalerie Alte Meister
1529 Darmstadt Madonna (Altarpiece of Jakob Meyer), Darmstadt, Hessische Hausstiftung
1532 Geog Gisze of Danzig, Berlin, Staatliche Museen
1532 Hermann von Wedigh, New York, Metropolitan Museum of Art
1533 The Ambassadors (Jean de Dinteville and Georges de Selve),London, National Gallery
1533 Derich Born, Windsor, Royal Collection
1533 Robert Cheseman, The Hague, Royal Cabinet of Paintings, Mauritshuis
1533 The Duisburg Merchant Dirck Tybis, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
1535 Portrait of Simon George, Frankfurt, Städelsches Kunstinstitut
1536 Jane Seymour, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
1536 Sir Richard Southwell, Florence, Galleria degli Uffizi
c1537 Henry VIII, Madrid, Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza
c1537 Sir Henry Wyatt, Paris, Musée du Louvre
1538 Portrait of Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan, London, National Gallery
1539 Edward, Prince of Wales, Washington, National Gallery of Art
1539 Portrait of Anne of Cleves, Paris, Musée de Louvre
1540 Henry VIII, Rome, Galleria Nazionale d'Arte Antica
1543 Dr John Chambers, Physician to King Henry VIII, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum
