Ambrosius Holbein Paintings

Ambrosius Holbein was a German and Swiss painter and draftsman born in Augsburg, Germany, in 1494. He was the younger brother of the more famous Hans Holbein the Younger and the son of Hans Holbein the Elder, both of whom were accomplished painters. The Holbein family was part of a lineage of artists and craftsmen, and Ambrosius, alongside his brother Hans, received his early artistic training from his father.

Ambrosius moved to Basel, Switzerland, in his youth, a city that was then a vibrant center of humanism, printing, and the arts. Here, he became an independent master in 1515. His work in Basel was influenced by the city's intellectual climate, and he created designs for woodcuts and possibly contributed to book illustrations, which were a flourishing art form in Basel due to the presence of prominent publishers like Johann Froben.

Although Ambrosius Holbein's life and career were short—he disappeared from the historical record around 1519 and is presumed to have died around that time—his work was marked by a keen attention to detail and a clear influence from his older brother and father. Unfortunately, much of his work has either been lost or overshadowed by the achievements of Hans Holbein the Younger, who would go on to become one of the leading portraitists of the 16th century. Some of Ambrosius Holbein's surviving works include portraits and religious compositions, which exhibit a mastery of line and an evolving style that was cut short by his early death.

The exact circumstances of Ambrosius Holbein's death are unknown, and records concerning the latter part of his life are scarce. His legacy is largely recognized through the context of his family and their collective contribution to the Northern Renaissance. His surviving pieces, though limited, continue to be studied for their craftsmanship and their place in the Holbein family narrative, as well as their role in the broader scope of Renaissance art.