This celebrated portrait, which has been in the possession of the Huth family for so many years, is no longer in England. It was purchased last year (1912) by Messrs. Knoedler, of Old Bond Street, London, and is now in the collection of Mr. H. C. Frick, of New York. It is deeply to be regretted that this fine example of Holbein’s art, and one of such great historical importance, has not found a final resting-place in the National Gallery. According to report, the purchase price was £50,000.
A letter from Erasmus to Bonifacius Amerbach, preserved among the Basel manuscripts, appears to have reference to Holbein’s second journey to England, and at the same time to show that the relationships between the philosopher and the painter were not, at that period at least, entirely amicable ones. This letter, already referred to in Appendix (F), was first published by Dr. C. Chr. Bernoulli in the Basel Nachrichten, No. 296, 1902, and is dated Freiburg, 10th April 1535, but the year-date, it is stated, is wrong, and should be 1533. The exact meaning of the letter is not quite clear, but in it Erasmus complains somewhat bitterly of foolish behaviour and needless delay of more than a month in Antwerp on the part of “Olpeius,” and of reprehensible conduct on his part towards certain people in England to whom Erasmus had given him letters of introduction. It seems almost certain that in the “Olpeius” of this letter Holbein is intended. The long stay in Antwerp of which Erasmus complains must have been in 1532, and apparently it was not until the following spring that he heard of it, after receiving letters of complaint about the painter from one or more of his English correspondents. There is nothing in the letter to indicate in what way Holbein deceived these unnamed friends of Erasmus. The original text of the letter is as follows:
“Subornant te patronum, cui uni sciunt me nihil posse negare. Sic Olpeius per te extorsit litteras in Angliam. At is resedit Antuerpiæ supra mensem, diutius mansurus, si invenisset fatuos. In Anglia decepit eos, quibus fuerat commendatus.”
Several important pictures by Holbein appear to have been in the Netherlands during the seventeenth century, and the Earl of Arundel, through his friends and agents, made serious efforts to add them to his collection, though in some instances the price asked was too high for him. In this search for examples of Holbein’s art he received considerable assistance from Sir Dudley Carleton, English minister at the Hague, to whom the Earl wrote, on 17th September 1619: “I hear likewise, by many ways how careful your lordship is to satisfy my foolish curiosity in inquiring for the pieces of Holbein.” Two years later, as already noted (see vol. i. p. 241), Carleton was endeavouring to obtain for him a picture by Holbein which may have been the Meyer Madonna; and in 1628 another fruitless attempt was made to purchase the portrait of Morette (see Vol. ii. p. 65-66). Again, on 25th April 1629, the Earl wrote to Sir Henry Vane respecting “a book of Holbein.” In the course of this letter he says:
“I must likewise give you very many thanks for your care concerning Bloome’s (Bloemaert’s) painting and book of Holbein, and the King protests against any meddling with it, at 600l., which he says cost him but 200l. For the drawings I hoped to have had them for 30l., but rather than fail, as I told you, I would go to 50l., but never think of 100l., nor 50l. offered without sure to have it; if he would let it come, upon security to send it back, I should be glad, if not, let it rest.”
What this book was it is now impossible to say, but it cannot have been the one containing the Windsor drawings, which came to the Arundel Collection from the Earl of Pembroke at about this time (see Sainsbury’s Original Unpublished Papers, &c., 1859, Nos. 44, 53, 55, and 57 in Appendix). It may have been the little book of twenty-two designs of the Passion of Christ which Lord Arundel showed to Sandrart (see Vol. ii. p. 77).
Another seventeenth-century collector of pictures, the great painter Rembrandt, was an admirer of Holbein’s work, and at the end of his life, when his fine collection had been sold and scattered for the benefit of his creditors, and his monetary troubles were thick upon him, we find him, nevertheless, offering the large sum of one thousand gulden for some picture by the master. The document referring to this offer, dated 15th October 1666, three years before Rembrandt died, is quoted by Dr. Bode in his Complete Works of Rembrandt, 1906, vol. viii. pp. 296-7. It is a letter written by Anna de Witt, of Dordrecht, in the course of which she says: “Whereas the picture is by one of the greatest painters of his time, Holbein, who also painted the picture of their ancestor; for this Rembrandt offered 1000 gulden.” This ancestor was Willem Schijverts van Merode, and the picture appears to have been a votive one, in which he was represented as the kneeling donor. Dr. Bode, however, suggests that in all probability the picture which Rembrandt was said to be so anxious to possess was not by Holbein at all.
Holbein’s original painting of Sir Nicholas Poyntz, from which various copies were made, appears to be the picture in the collection of the Earl of Harrowby, at Sandon Hall, Stafford. This picture is in close agreement with the one described by Woltmann, which was exhibited in Paris, at the Exposition du Palais Bourbon, in 1874, by the Marquis de la Rosière, and photographed on that occasion by Braun, but has since disappeared. Lord Harrowby’s picture, which bears the same inscription and three-line motto in French as the examples mentioned in the text, is a good and undoubtedly genuine work.
Letter from Anthoinette de Bourbon, Duchess of Guise, to her daughter Marie, Queen of Scotland, respecting the visit of Hoby and Holbein to Joinville, dated 1st September (1538). Balcarres MSS., Advocates’ Library, Edinburgh, vol. ii., No. 20.
“A la royne descosse.
“Madame Rouvray a este ycy quelque tans pour meyder a pourvoir aus affaire de vous et de vostre filz ou fesons le myeux que povons Depuis que vous ay escrit par vostre argentier franceis ny a ryens change fors la mort du bailly de Dunoys Son filz a eu sa place du grant conseil et pourchast fort pour avoir le dit baillyage Mons. vostre pere men a escrit affin je lavertyse comme il en pouret faire Mon avys a este en escrire au presydent a Chateaudum affin quil luy manda son avys et sy le dit filz estet capable pour lestre ou syl en connest aultre pleus propre Je luy ay mende ansy que je ne connests le dit filz mais que javes fort oŭy louer lavocat de Chateaudum savent et de bon conseil et quyl conet pourpos Je retires (?) ailleurs qui seret gros daumage pour la meson et que se pouret arestet par sete offyce de bailly penses seret le proufit du lieu et des juges veu quy ly est resydent et le filz du trespase nen et que laustre partission que lon recommendet pour mestre au servyce de la meson que lon dit ausy homme de bien et de savoir et demeurant a Chateaudum fut avocat set ung pour quy le presydent vous parllet mais jen ay houblie le non Je ne ses encore quyl en ara este feit ledit Rouvray sen retourne paser par Paris quy sara se quy ara este feit et vous escrira de tout bien au long Sy croie il ne vous sara dire chose quy vous soit plus agreable que la sente de nostre petit filz quy est ausy bonne que ly foystes onques touiours bien rongneus mais il nen leyse a bien dormyr combien que quelquefois il vouldret estre grate mais cella se pase legerement et sy menge fort bien lon le mayne souvent a lesbat quy me senble ly fait grant bien Je le vous souhete souvent il me senble le trouvariez creu et devenu gros quant au reste de nostre menage vostre seur y est touiours mallade de sa fievre et a este sete semayne pasee bien mal dung fleux de ventre quy la fort afeyblie il y a bien huit jours puis elle bouge pleus du lyst depuis hier le dit flux se comense a paser de la fievre je ny seu pas grant amendement combien les mesdesins soyet davys elle sabregera pour se fleux vostre frere Claude a este ausy mallade jusques a la mort dung fleux de sanc avesques la fievre continue dont il lest renchent par deus fois et estant en chemyn pour revenyr ycy ou Mons. son pere le renvoyet a cuyde demeurer pres daultun ou il est encore Je luy ay envoye ma litiere pour lamener lon ma mande il est en tout hors de denger et prest a senvenyr Vostre seur Anthoinette est ausy mallade dune fievre et dung rume sy croie elle se portera bien les aultres se portet bien Je vous avyse que madame vostre tante est mandee pour aller a la court a la venue de la royne de Hongrie quy doit bientost estre a Compiegne ou le roy et toute la court doit estre en pen de jours de moy jen seus escupee pour lamour de mes mallades il ny a que deus jours que le gentilhomme du roy dengletere quy fut au Havre et le paintre ont este ycy le gentilhomme vynt vers moy fesent senblant venyr de devers lenpereur et que ayent seu Louisse mallade navet voullu paser sens lavoir affin en savoir dire des nouvelles au roy son mestre me priant il la puisse voir se quy fit et estet le jour de sa fievre il luy tint pareil pourpos qua moy puys ma dit questant sy pres de Lorrayne avet envye daller jusques a Nency voir le paiys Je me doute incontynent il y allet voir la demoyselle pour la tirer comme les aultres et pour se envoye a leur logis voir quy y estet et trouve le dit paintre y estet et de fait ont este a Nency et y ont seiourne ung jour et ont este fort festus et venet tous les repas le mestre dostel menger avesques luy avesque force presans et bien trestes Volla se que jen ay encore seu au pis alle sy navyes pour voysine vostre seur se pouret estre vostre cousine il se tient quelque pourpos lenpereur offre reconpence pour la duche de Gueldres et que se fesant se pouret faire quelque mariage de la fille de Hongrie et de Mons. le marquys Mons. vostre pere entent bien se fesant avoir sa part en la dite recompence Je vouldreis il en fusset bien recompenses voila tout se que jay seu de nouveau depuis vous escryvys Je vous mes tant de lettres a laventure que croy quelcune vous en pouront venyr Je baille seus ycy a Rouvray pour les bailler au bausquyer de Paris affin les vous faire tenyr Je me doute que ne feres sy bonne diligence den mestre par pays que moy car je ses bien que tenes de Mons. vostre pere et questes pareseuse a escrire sy lair descosse ne vous a change Je nay encore eu que vos premyeres lettres il me tarde bien savoir comme depuis vous seres portee Il me sera grant joye pover oŭyr se set touiours bien Nostre Seigneur le veuille, et vous doint Madame longue et bonne vie (set) se premyer de Sebtenbre de
vostre humble et bonne mere
Anthoinette de Bourbon
It was probably in Holbein’s painting-room in Whitehall that the incident occurred which set going the story told by Van Mander—a story for which, no doubt, there was some foundation in truth—of Holbein’s violence towards a nobleman who insisted upon forcing his way into the studio when the artist was engaged upon the portrait of a lady, and who was, in consequence, thrown downstairs by the infuriated painter. This story Walpole tells as follows:
The writers of his life relate a story, which Vermander, his first biographer, affirms came from Dr. Isely of Basil and from Amerbach.... The story is, that one day as Holbein was privately drawing some lady’s picture for the king, a great lord forced himself into the chamber. Holbein threw him downstairs; the peer cried out; Holbein bolted himself in, escaped over the top of the house, and running directly to the king, fell on his knees, and besought his Majesty to pardon him, without declaring the offence. The king promised to forgive him if he would tell the truth; but soon began to repent, saying he should not easily overlook such insults, and bade him wait in the apartment till he had learned more of the matter. Immediately arrived the lord with his complaint, but sinking the provocation. At first the monarch heard the story with temper, but broke out, reproaching the nobleman with his want of truth, and adding, ‘You have not to do with Holbein, but with me; I tell you, of seven peasants I can make as many lords, but not one Holbein—begone, and remember, that if ever you pretend to revenge yourself, I shall look on any injury offered to the painter as done to myself.’ Henry’s behaviour is certainly the most probable part of the story.” (See Walpole, Anecdotes, &c., ed. Wornum, vol. i. pp. 71-2.)
Wornum gives a more elaborate account of the adventure (Holbein, pp. 319-20), and it is also introduced by Richard Lovelace into his poem called “Peinture: a Panegyrick to the Best Picture of Friendship, Mr. Pet. Lilly” (Sir Peter Lely), included in Lucasta, first published in 1649. The lines are as follows:
Another seventeenth-century poet who makes reference to Holbein—in this instance it is the Dance of Death which is in question—is Matthew Prior, who, in his Ode to the Memory of George Villiers, says:
It has been suggested that Holbein’s painting-room at Whitehall was over the so-called Holbein Gate. Numerous engravings of this gate were made in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and reproductions of several of these will be found in Whitehall: Historical and Architectural Notes (Portfolio Monograph), by W. J. Loftie, F.S.A., 1895, and in The Old Royal Palace of Whitehall, by Dr. Edgar Sheppard, 1901. Mr. Loftie reproduces an engraving of Whitehall showing the Gate after a drawing by Hollar in the Pepysian Library, Cambridge; the “Banqueting Hall, Holbein’s Gate, and Treasury,” from the engraving by J. Silvestre, 1640; “Whitehall in 1724,” from the engraving by J. Kip; “Holbein’s Gate,” from an engraving by G. Vertue, 1725; and “Whitehall, from King Street,” from an engraving by R. Godfrey, 1775, after a drawing by T. Sandby, R.A. Dr. Sheppard reproduces the engraving after Hollar, and the Kip and Vertue engravings, and also “Whitehall,” from a picture by Canaletto in the possession of the Duke of Buccleuch; and “A View of Whitehall with the Holbein Gateway,” from a drawing by Paul Sandby in the possession of Mr. E. Gardner.
A further proof of the high value placed upon this picture by the Company in earlier days is to be found in John Strype’s additions to John Stow’s Survey of the Cities of London and Westminster, in the folio edition published in 1720. He says (Book iii. p. 128), in speaking of “Barber-Chirurgeons’ Hall”:—“In this Hall also is a large and very curious Piece of K. Henry VIII reaching the Chirurgeons their Charter; with many other Persons of the said Company delineated. It is said to be done by Hans Holben; and some say, as many Broad Pieces have been offered for the purchase of it as would cover it.”