Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach

Portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach was painted by Hans Holbein in the year 1519. This was a great portrait by Hans Holbein which was an oil on canvas. The portrait was different from the ones done by Hans Holbein as is done in a square dimension.

Then he incorporated nature by painting a fig tree painted green and mountains covered in snow this is an emphasis of poetry together with the blue sky which has a deeper meaning in poetry. Then there is a picture of Bonifacius Amerbach who is in a black cap and a coat then a tablet that has Amerbach words in Latin expressing and praising the artist Hans Holbein as a trusted gentleman that was into nature. It also brings out the illusory pictorial in the portrait. He used different colours, shapes, and lines to expresses his idea on the portrait.

Hans Holbein planned before executing this work. He was the master in painting in Basel that he did this portrait with diligence. He used a different technique to do this work. He incorporated words in the portrait with classical references that put confidence in the work. He painted it on a pinewood this really made it be outstanding. The combination of oil painting and use of the knowledge he had acquired from his patron and other artist made the portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach to come out really well. The brushes made the portrait smooth and the paints brought out the reality of the patron.

This is among the first commission that was done by Hans Holbein in Basel. Bonifacius Amerbach and Hans Holbein were friends and both were in humanist circles. Bonifacius Amerbach was a trusted collector especially those work done by Holbein. This made Hans Holbein appreciate his fellow humanitarian scholar who worked on the portrait of Bonifacius Amerbach. This is well seen in the portrait where the professor of law Bonifacius Amerbach has a tablet with a summary of what he thinks the artist was to him. The son of Bonifacius Amerbach, Basilius continued to collect his father and Hans Holbein work which are the arts that have occupied the Basel’s Arts Museum.

The artist Hans Holbein work has contributed a lot to Basel’s art museum thanks to Basilius and his father who did a lot in the collection of the artist work. This portrait is now kept Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung in Basel.