Susan Foister Libri

An original account of how one of the greatest Renaissance artists held a mirror up to the cultural life of early Tudor England.

A study of Holbein's portrait entitled "The Ambassadors". It offers a technical account of the painting and sets it in the context of the religious and political crisis in Europe in 1533, investigating the political fortunes and artistic patronage of the Dinteville family who commissioned it.

Hans Holbein’s prolific production of precise and realistic portraits of the great figures of the 16th century earned him an international reputation in his own time. Although Holbein (1497–1543) gained high acclaim while working in Switzerland, his periods in England, where he became the official artist at the court of King Henry VIII, proved equally important in establishing his reputation. Susan Foister, a leading expert on Holbein, considers the way in which England both influenced and was influenced by the artist and his work. Illustrated with more than 100 color images, Holbein in England includes the artist’s best-known portraits alongside lesser-known but equally important works.