Among Renaissance painters, Hans Holbein the Younger from Augsburg in Bavaria was definitely a master of portraiture on a par with Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Titian Vecellio and other most brilliant painters. Although there were many famous painters in the Renaissance who were good at portraits, Hans Holbein the Younger was the only one who devoted his life to portrait painting and achieved great things. In later generations, Erasmus (1523-1524), in the Louvre, is one of his outstanding portraits.

So, he immediately began to paint two portraits of Lady Francis Howard and Isabel Walton, who would carefully manage the relationship between light and dark, focusing on the details of the faces and costumes of the characters. Not only that, but he also achieved delicate realism and paid great attention to the portrayal of the eyes, so that the characters were god-like, and the artistic effect was almost similar to that of later photographs.

It can be said that it is extremely rare to be able to obtain a portrait painting of Little Hans. However, it was this master portrait painter who encountered a difficult problem before his death in 1543: painting scenery. As for landscape painting, Hans the Younger did learn the basics of painting from his father, Hans Holbein the Elder.

However, when he traveled to Basel, Switzerland, in 1514, where he became acquainted with the humanist scholar Erasmus and was influenced by new ideas, he began to specialize in portraiture. To this day, he painted portraits of Henry VIII and his queens, as well as the nobles of England.

Little Hans, who had been invited to sit down in the lounge area in front of the fishpond, was now embarrassed to hold his glass, and pondered what the Duke of Richmond's appointee had asked of him. Glancing at the wine glass, there was still more than half a glass of red wine in the wine glass, and then raised his eyelids and quickly glanced at Mrs. Surrey, who was standing at the fishing place and was feeding the fish with breadcrumbs, and said hesitantly: "Miss Isabel, I am honored to draw a new territory and a newly built estate for Your Highness. However, painting the scenery ...... It's not the kind of painting I'm good at. ”

Isabel, who sat on little Hans's side, glanced at his embarrassed face, leaned back in her chair, picked them up one by one, and ate the fresh grapes slowly. Then, he slowly wiped his hands with a cloth. As he threw the cloth back to the table beside him, he smiled lightly, "Sir, do you know of any court painter in England or Europe who could paint landscapes?" ”

"Hmm...... Let me think. Little Hans raised his arm, poured some wine into his mouth, put down his glass, and recalled, "Yes, I know a painter of scenery. The painter's name was Altdorfer and he came from Amberg, just in the eastern part of Bavaria. ”

"Uh-huh, what now?"

"Miss, it's a pity that Altdorfer died two years ago."

"What, dead?" Isabel looked surprised as if to say that if the landscape painter had not died, she would have personally gone to the Holy Roman Empire to invite the painter to England.

Then, she grinned slightly, "This is indeed a regrettable thing." Sir, my good companion Anne Parr told me that you once painted a sketch for her. ”

"Uh, yes. Miss, this lady-in-waiting is also your good companion? ”

"yes." Isabel used the thumb and forefinger of both hands to form a rectangular camera lens, put the fishpond in front of her, the pristine forest, and Mrs. Surrey standing by the fishpond into the "lens", and said to little Hans: "Sir, why don't you draw a sketch of such a scene and a person now." I want to see how bad you are at drawing scenes. ”

Little Hans looked at the movements of her hands, and he also looked straight ahead from the "camera" in a pattern, "Miss, I can try." However, I can't guarantee that the work will satisfy you. ”

"It's okay, your bad drawing is exactly what I wanted."

Little Hans pondered her answer, turned his face and whispered a few words to the assistant beside him. The assistant then took out drawing paper and pencil from the toolbox and handed them to him. In the Duke of Richmond's estate, Hans Jr. painted a landscape painting on the spot that could sell for sky-high prices in later generations.

After feeding the fish in the pond with breadcrumbs for a while, Mrs. Surrey clapped her hands and rubbed them back and forth twice, trying to remove the bread residue from her hands. He took a silk handcloth from the maid Beth's hand and wiped it carefully, looked back at the two who were still talking, and asked the maid, "Beth, Miss Isabel hasn't finished talking to the court painter yet?" ”

"Not yet, ma'am."

"Probably His Majesty's royal painter can't paint scenes, and Isabel seems to be a little too embarrassed for him."

"Madame, I think any painter should be able to paint scenes, people, or portraits. If a painter likes to paint something, then he can be a painter in some way. ”

Frances turned to stare at the maid and suddenly laughed, "Beth, you're saying a good job. For today's lunch, I asked His Highness's butler to give you some roast pork or beef shank. ”

Beth smiled and agreed, "Thank you Madame for your kindness." ”

In a short time, a pure sketch with characters and scenery was perfectly presented in front of the painting master Hans Jr. When he stood up and handed the work to Isabel with both hands, his face was full of unconfidence, and he reluctantly glanced at the other party, "Miss, this is the sketch you wanted, I... I've done my best. ”

"Thank you, sir, for your efforts." Isabel took the sketch and admired it, and without raising her eyes, she commanded little Hans, "Sir, now you can invite Mrs. Surrey back." ”

"Yes, miss, are you still going to ask me to paint the scenery of the manor for Your Highness?"

"yes, lo and behold, this sketch of yours is very good."

In this unconfident work of the court painter, the only thing he can do is the simplicity and perfection of the lines. As for the relationship between light and dark, the details of the characters' faces and costumes simply cannot reach the level of delicate and realistic. It can be said that this scribbled work was an almost complete failure, and he only wished to snatch it from Isabelle's hand and burn it immediately.

When Frances returned to the rest area with her personal maid, she found Isabel holding a piece of drawing paper looking at something, and asked curiously, "Isabel, what are you holding in your hand?" ”

Isabel raised her head and smiled softly, "This is a sketch by the imperial court painter. ”