Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560)
Original title: Hermann von Wedigh III (died 1560)
kurzbeschreibung
Oil and gold on oak give this 1532 portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger its quiet intensity. Hermann von Wedigh III is shown in bust form against a dark ground, the paint surface building a careful balance between shadow and the glint of gold.
Description
Wedigh wears a dark, fur-lined jacket and a black cap. His face is serious and thoughtful, his gaze turned slightly to the side. A book with a gold-tooled cover rests on the table before him. The palette is mostly dark, broken by the green of the table and the gold of the book. Light falls on his face, bringing out its features. At the top, inscriptions read 'ANNO. 1532' and 'ATATIS. SVA. 29'.
Context
Holbein painted this portrait in 1532, during his second stay in London. Hermann von Wedigh III was a Cologne merchant and a member of the Steelyard, the Hanseatic trading post in London. In those years Holbein portrayed several members of the German merchant colony, pointing to business and social ties. The inscription 'ATATIS. SVA. 29' gives the sitter's age as 29.
Impact
The calm, collected manner of the portrait and the sitter's grave expression give him great presence and dignity. The dark tonality and directed lighting draw the eye to his face, creating an intimate, reflective mood.
Technique
Oil and gold on oak – this is how the picture is made, as was usual for Holbein's portraits of the period. The precise rendering of fur, fabric and book decoration shows the painter's high technical precision. Gold highlights the book's ornament, lending the work a precious quality.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)