The Unsettling Secrets Hidden In Holbein's Tudor Portraits (Waldemar Januszczak) | Perspective

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British art historian Waldemar Januszczak shows that Hans Holbein witnessed and recorded the most notorious era in British history. He painted most of the major characters of the 16th century Tudor Era, including the famous image of King Henry VIII. What unsettling secrets lay hidden in his famous paintings? What do his images reveal about Henry's relentless drive to control the English church?
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  • @melissasaint3283
    @melissasaint32832 жыл бұрын

    It's astonishing that such a fine and engaging art history class is free and available to us at any time. We live in an amazing time.

  • @johnjon1823

    @johnjon1823

    Жыл бұрын

    They highjack artwork and historical atrocities for entertainment that is, actually, propaganda and provide a merely superficial examination of things, coupled with spin representative of modern leftist currents which taint the analysis and reporting e.g. the drawings of a teenager admired for worldly knowledge, which are nothing more than common teenage angst and immaturity represented as doodles any fool would do in a boring high school class, in notebook margins when a fool is a fool as most teenagers are. They tell YOU what to think. Indeed, the entire Ministry of "Truth" is very busy these days and is busy with Newspeak at every turn. Only thing is, they are much better at it than Orwell imagined.

  • @let_uslunch8884

    @let_uslunch8884

    Жыл бұрын

    this is true

  • @toshikotanaka3249

    @toshikotanaka3249

    Жыл бұрын

    "It's astonishing that such a fine and engaging art history class is free and available to us at any time. We live in an amazing time" I made the same comment on another video I enjoyed about dragonflies and someone commented that I had to pay for the electricity, the computer, the internet connection etc so I needed to grow up because only children believe that things are free. So while it is indeed an amazing time in which to live, we must share that time with douche bags. 😃

  • @johnjon1823

    @johnjon1823

    Жыл бұрын

    @@toshikotanaka3249 I think a lot of people may think it is free, but that is perhaps a philosophical point of view with which others may or may not agree. People think about things differently. When they come across as rude about it, it may be, that, we tend to read into the "tone" of the response in a negative light more often than a positive light. That happens in emails and texts all the time. I think most of us kind of read into things, I know I do. But of course, they could actually be nasty. KZread usually has ads, so, you pay with that time while they try to sell you something. Also, Google tracks what you watch, so you pay with some loss of privacy. So, while you may not lay out any money, something of worth is exchanged, ad revenue to google, your viewership information habits to target other ads which Google sells. So, yes it is free, but in some sense you do pay and money is made. Same with TV and radio. But as you mentioned from the "other commenter" you do have to make some outlay on your part, so he's not wrong really, even if he is rude. But again you can look at it your way as well. It kind of depends on how you make the calculus. Best wishes!

  • @KF-cx8bm

    @KF-cx8bm

    Жыл бұрын

    Wow, you're got a lot of time on your hands

  • @nuvostef
    @nuvostef Жыл бұрын

    My late brother was a fine artist with works in galleries, homes, and businesses from Taiwan to Paris. One of my fondest memories is of him and I having coffee on the patio while he explained art - the materials, techniques, and symbology. Because of him I’ve come to love artists like Holbein, Caravaggio, Hopper…This channel ‘teaches’ art history like my brother did, so thank you from my heart. 💖🌹

  • @stellagrau8871
    @stellagrau8871 Жыл бұрын

    This is a very privilege.I am sitting at home learning about History of Art.And without having to attend classes.

  • @thegreencat9947

    @thegreencat9947

    10 ай бұрын

    And no fear of an impending test.😁

  • @truepeace3
    @truepeace3 Жыл бұрын

    Holbein captured the soul of the subject he painted. Now THAT is an art. Truly magnificent.

  • @carihislop161

    @carihislop161

    Жыл бұрын

    Exactly! You can see their true selves on the canvas or paper (except in his paintings of Henry VIII - who looks very assembly line regal). Seeing Holbein's cartoon of Henry VIII was a revelation. You can see the spiteful vindictive monster sneering at the artist.

  • @amandaflemming6205

    @amandaflemming6205

    Жыл бұрын

    Henry ateth more than his belly could take...

  • @silla-je9od

    @silla-je9od

    Жыл бұрын

    @@amandaflemming6205 taketh

  • @marissashantez6051

    @marissashantez6051

    Жыл бұрын

    I would disagree. Im pretty sure Cromwell was a better man then Thomas Moore. Holbeing had his opinions, and does everyone else.

  • @paloma4444

    @paloma4444

    Жыл бұрын

    @@carihislop161 you are an idiot

  • @vinzent1992
    @vinzent19923 жыл бұрын

    Waldemar Januszczak is like the David Attenborough of art, I can't get enough of these documentaries.

  • @TheStockwell

    @TheStockwell

    2 жыл бұрын

    His surrealistically emphatic speaking style seems to be patterned on that of the "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous" host. 😐

  • @lisamckennon3025

    @lisamckennon3025

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@TheStockwell oh, you mean Robin Leech

  • @TheStockwell

    @TheStockwell

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@lisamckennon3025 I'm pretty sure Bernie Sanders was traumatized when he lost a bet and was forced to binge-watch a season of the show. Mr. Leach achieved mighty things: "Leach appeared in the Vice Channel series, 'Most Expensivest," with the rapper 2 Chainz. The episode, aired in late 2017 and was titled, "Viva Las Vegas." It included a scene with Leach and 2 Chainz eating blinis with caviar and syrup." Sadly, Leach died broke and in total obscurity. Just kidding! 😉

  • @hollywilson1524

    @hollywilson1524

    2 жыл бұрын

    Amen

  • @elinasaari8581

    @elinasaari8581

    2 жыл бұрын

    Exactly so!

  • @StephiSensei26
    @StephiSensei262 жыл бұрын

    Normally, I've commented with "Brilliant", but this episode deserves and entirely other accolade, "Spectacular"! Thank you Waldemar J.

  • @stephenjablonsky1941
    @stephenjablonsky1941 Жыл бұрын

    When you encounter a Holbein portrait face to face you are overwhelmed by its power and realism. That is the magic of great art. By comparison, what you often find in many museums is merely second rate.

  • @carolking6355
    @carolking6355 Жыл бұрын

    This was absolutely brilliant. I just love the enthusiasm of the narrator. Holbein was so amazing but he must have been living on a knifes edge. What fearful times they were.

  • @paullooney2522

    @paullooney2522

    Жыл бұрын

    Yep he was lucky he dident end up in the curry as well.

  • @Qwazier3
    @Qwazier3 Жыл бұрын

    The fact that he could paint that skull you only can see from the side makes him pretty awesomely talented.

  • @paulmitchell5349

    @paulmitchell5349

    Жыл бұрын

    ...as was the person who made the curved mirror that he used.

  • @Qwazier3

    @Qwazier3

    Жыл бұрын

    @@paulmitchell5349 Mirrors back then weren't what we have today.

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    @Qwazier: Now, about the skull I can absolutely agree. I can’t imagine how he did that, or why???FFS!

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    @@Qwazier3 I have to totally agree on the skull. I cannot imagine how he did that. Or even had the concept??? And why?? I don’t believe all that convoluted crap the guide was spewing. Art historians have had 300 years to play around with hidden symbolism, which no contemporary viewers would have grasped. If he was making philosophical statements with his art it was much too subtle for his times.

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    @@Qwazier3 No, I don’t think most were glass with silvered backs. Lots of mirrors were polished metal.

  • @stellakowalski1
    @stellakowalski1 Жыл бұрын

    I was an art history major & Holbein & Jan Van Eyck were always my favorites. And Jan Vermeer. The Flemish. Holbein’s sketches are nothing short of stupefyingly beautiful. Such a gift he was given!

  • @ingloriousbetch4302

    @ingloriousbetch4302

    Жыл бұрын

    To call it a gift is to completely disregard all the hard work, time, and practice an artists places in to honing their skills. They don't just wake up one day with such impressive abilities.

  • @stellakowalski1

    @stellakowalski1

    Жыл бұрын

    @@ingloriousbetch4302 what you don’t realize is no amount of hard work, time, & practice will enable you to be a gifted artist. It’s a gift that we have no say over. I know; I was given the gift. It just came out of me. I became a successful portrait artist because God gave me the gift of being one. I’ve known other people who have spent hours, days & years working very hard to be a gifted artist. They’ve failed because they did not have the gift. It’s something you are simply born with. Period. Regardless of what you say. I’ve done nothing to deserve it. It just IS.

  • @rebekahdavis5935
    @rebekahdavis5935 Жыл бұрын

    Poor Holbein, what a crazy time to live in. Your every move calculated to not get your head chopped off. He really did bring that era to life under an immense amount of stress.

  • @juttad2127
    @juttad2127 Жыл бұрын

    I know this video is a couple of years old now, but I wanted to say thank you for such an engaging and thoughtful presentation on an artist I really enjoy. Your video has helped me introduce my 6 year old son to Holbein and now he wants to visit the museum to see the pictures in person. I have promised him to make that happen. Thank you!!

  • @twoofsix3b3g

    @twoofsix3b3g

    Жыл бұрын

    @Jutta D I went with my husband last week to the Walker Art Gallery to see 'The Tudors' . It is promoted as a “once-in-a-generation” exhibition . We did thoroughly enjoy being able to see this full collection which included 68 works from the National Portrait Gallery Collection, alongside paintings from the Walker Art Gallery’s collection and a selection of additional loaned objects - some of which have rarely been on public display. If you are able to visit Liverpool then I would really recommend this exhibition.

  • @sr-kt9ml

    @sr-kt9ml

    Жыл бұрын

    thats wonderful :)

  • @juttad2127

    @juttad2127

    Жыл бұрын

    @@twoofsix3b3g I would love to visit Liverpool, but it is a long drive from TX. *wink* As my little guy gets older and as the world comes back on line, we will be able to travel more. I am so glad you got to see it. It sounds like a dream come true.

  • @twoofsix3b3g

    @twoofsix3b3g

    Жыл бұрын

    @@juttad2127 Wow Yes , the large state of Texas is a fair old distance to travel to Liverpool indeed ! I hope that one day you can make the journey to our shores ... but please don't reserve your visit to the capital, London . There is much more to see on this little island.

  • @elsab2710

    @elsab2710

    Жыл бұрын

    That’s brilliant.

  • @philiptownsend4026
    @philiptownsend4026 Жыл бұрын

    That was a fantastic documentary. I am presently reading David Hockney's theory that Holbein among others achieved his amazing accuracy of realism and his great speed by using the Camera Lucida. There is something uncanny about the superb perspectives and foreshortenings of rounded objects like limbs and musical instruments and curved naturally flat objects like paper and clothes in Holbein's paintings that DH believes impossible for a mere human to achieve with just eyes and hands. DH contends that Holbein used optical tools to aid his drafting and compositions. This is born out by there being more than one perspective in some of Holbein's paintings where he would have moved the Camera Lucida and unknowingly introduced another viewpoint for certain objects making them appear tipped in comparison to the surface supporting them. Please don't attack me personally, it is not my opinion or discovery although I agree with it. Read DHs book to understand his theory fully. It can be found as a free PDF with a little searching if you don't want to pay for the hard copy. I have bought a Camera Lucida, it was delivered today, and I shall do some experiments of my own with it. A fascinating subject.

  • @justineharper3346

    @justineharper3346

    3 ай бұрын

    I agree with this theory, and it doesn’t make me love his art any less.

  • @SHiggy50
    @SHiggy50 Жыл бұрын

    We recently watched Wolf Hall and one of the scenes that stood out was of Holbein painting the famous Thomas Cromwell portrait. This was a fantastic documentary - thank you

  • @davidlogansr8007
    @davidlogansr80077 ай бұрын

    This documentary is an absolute Masterpiece!

  • @ladybayside7547
    @ladybayside7547 Жыл бұрын

    I do wish we had a Holbein portrait of Anne Boleyn.

  • @finallythere100

    @finallythere100

    Жыл бұрын

    I wish we could have seen the women w their hair... but still these paintings are remarkable, especially for their time in history.

  • @finallythere100

    @finallythere100

    Жыл бұрын

    @@alexso1842 ... ???

  • @c.a.savage5689

    @c.a.savage5689

    Жыл бұрын

    @@finallythere100 You should check out KZread videos of Royalty Now, which discusses just that. Also shows modern representations of people like Anne Bolyn, Cleopatra and others based on existing artworks and what was written about them.

  • @finallythere100

    @finallythere100

    Жыл бұрын

    @@c.a.savage5689 - YES ! Seen it, and addresses what I'm sure many people have often wondered - what would they really look like!

  • @r.c.miller6161

    @r.c.miller6161

    Жыл бұрын

    Interesting. Do we really know that Holbein’s paintings were accurate?

  • @barbaraolson600
    @barbaraolson600 Жыл бұрын

    Amazing detail, fabrics folds, wrinkles with reflected light and shadow, talent..

  • @toke7560
    @toke7560 Жыл бұрын

    I never saw the painter when i looked at the paintings of Henry etc. What an incredible man he was. What an incredible talent.

  • @AA-mv2nd
    @AA-mv2nd Жыл бұрын

    All we've had regarding Anne of Cleves' looks is based on Henry VIII's own words and Holbein's portrait. I don't think that Holbein "mispainted" her; otherwise, Henry would have taken his wrath out on Holbein and would not have turned to him for subsequent work. I tend to agree with another theory, which is that what Henry actually objected was her personality.

  • @a.westenholz4032

    @a.westenholz4032

    Жыл бұрын

    The thing with Anne of Cleeves that makes the whole story odder, is how it ends. After the divorce she is given a good settlement in England, attends court, and seemingly gets along well with Henry, being called "the King's Beloved Sister". She outlived all the other wives, and was much respected at court until her death. So what exactly went wrong between them in their marriage is a bit of a mystery, but something does indicate it would seem to be related to one or both not relishing the idea of having sex, but otherwise having no problems with each other if not married. The other thing is I believe there is another portrait Anne that rather has same likeness as Holbein portrait (taking the different styles of portraiture into account), that would mean it wasn't the portrait that was the issue. But what Cromwell said of her and for having brought about the marriage at all.

  • @louem2491

    @louem2491

    Жыл бұрын

    I reckon pig-headed Henry resented Anne from the moment she didn’t recognise and fawn over him when they met. She worked him out pretty quickly and handled the egotistical pratt incredibly, and Mary and Elizabeth adored her.

  • @dorothymargot8030

    @dorothymargot8030

    Жыл бұрын

    There are several accounts of Henry's evident distaste. One was that her breasts were not the pert breasts of a young woman, but large and pendulous, there was even suggestion she was not a 'maid'. (She also apparently stank) Henry first came into her presence in disguise as a romantic gesture, which backfired horribly when she recoiled in horror at the approaches of this unattractive stranger. She recovered herself too late when he revealed himself to be the King, her revulsion shook him.

  • @bernarddavis1050

    @bernarddavis1050

    Жыл бұрын

    @@dorothymargot8030 Was it not the case that Henry was already suffering from the incurable leg ulcer he got from a jousting accident? Probably if anyone stank, it was he. He was certainly no Adonis by that stage.

  • @dorothymargot8030

    @dorothymargot8030

    Жыл бұрын

    @@bernarddavis1050 I imagine that as bathing was actually considered bad for one's health and they just dabbed themselves with a cloth, everyone was reeking.

  • @Jennifer-us4li
    @Jennifer-us4li Жыл бұрын

    I have always loved Holbein's art. He brings his sitters to life. His attention to detail is breathtaking and in my opinion was the greatest portrait painter of all time. This was a great documentary. Thanks for posting.

  • @bscepter

    @bscepter

    Жыл бұрын

    I'd rate Rembrandt van Rijn above Holbein, but I agree that he was spectacularly good.

  • @1LaOriental

    @1LaOriental

    Жыл бұрын

    Difficult to rate… Goya was a masterful portrait painter who captured the essence/ character of his subjects.

  • @Jennifer-us4li

    @Jennifer-us4li

    Жыл бұрын

    1LaOriental, yes he was. Especially the King of Spain and his family.

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    Жыл бұрын

    Well, I have to disagree with you there. Not about Holbein’s skill; he was skilled, but in my opinion not the greatest portrait painter of all time. I would award that title to John Singer Sargent, whose skill, especially his portraits of Edwardians, takes my breath away.

  • @c.a.savage5689

    @c.a.savage5689

    Жыл бұрын

    @@loditx7706 with all due respect, it is unfair to compare Holbein to Sargent. Completely different time periods. Painters are influenced by technics and trends of their time. Sargent, whom I greatly admire as a portrait painter, was no doubt influenced by Impressionism. That Holbein could create such modern portraits of his subjects in the 16th century is truly amazing. Holbein has more in common with the style of Ingres, 200 years later.

  • @Thepourdeuxchanson
    @Thepourdeuxchanson3 жыл бұрын

    The drawings he made as preparation for future portraits are as fresh as if he had made them this morning.

  • @anneb4160
    @anneb41603 жыл бұрын

    Hans Holbein was an extraordinary painter. Especially the portrait of Sir Thomas Moore was as detailed and realistic as a photo. Very impressive!

  • @luiscuixara4622

    @luiscuixara4622

    2 жыл бұрын

    Pretty good trick, inventing photo-realism centuries before the camera ~

  • @luiscuixara4622

    @luiscuixara4622

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Strangely Brown (!)

  • @scipioafricanus5871

    @scipioafricanus5871

    2 жыл бұрын

    @Strangely Brown Yeah, I know! I mean, you're the King's chancellor, could you please shave before sitting for your portrait?

  • @moonwillowschronicle5435

    @moonwillowschronicle5435

    Жыл бұрын

    Rembrandt also had enormous talent. The tremendous care and patience he took in the painting of his subjects, especially the intricacies of their Elizabethan-style collars is unmatched. His paintings though dark and dreary were still magnificently detailed and awe inspiring.

  • @maryokeeffe3528

    @maryokeeffe3528

    Жыл бұрын

    Oh, it's fantastic. Those velvet sleeves are *amazing*, and then the tiny details like the little speckles of grey in the stubble! By contrast, to me the Cromwell portrait is a lot colder and less luminous, and I have to think that was in part down to Cromwell wanting to be painted in a particular way - the face he wanted others to see, giving away no secrets about his interior life. An Official Face for a Statesman, not a portrait of a personality. Though Holbein lets some of the personality show through, despite all that.

  • @carlycharlesworth1497
    @carlycharlesworth1497 Жыл бұрын

    What an extraordinary artist Hans Holbein was. I didn't even know of his existence before I watched this video. His paintings of Cromwell and Sir Thomas More were incredible, down to the very stubble on his face, and so very lifelike, that as the presenter said, 'you could feel their breath.' I would love to go and see his paintings and especially the long narrow painting of the crucified Christ! That was so deeply moving. It really made me think and I suddenly felt like I had been physically there when The Saviour Jesus Christ was being buried after he'd died on the cross. What an incredible gift, why isn't his name lauded alongside that of Leonardo Da Vinci. He was certainly just as skilled! It's such a shame that some of his works were destroyed!

  • @ninaalfa797
    @ninaalfa7974 ай бұрын

    This was immensely enjoyable and I got quite emotional with your closing statement on his artwork. There is nothing more enjoyable than the unspoken conversations that creators such artists, composers and authors initiate through their work that travel through time and centuries to talk specifically to us and to teach us about their stories , beliefs , experiences and emotions. Thank you so much for this video, I am quite moved ❤❤❤

  • @marcfedak
    @marcfedak3 жыл бұрын

    The narrator is great.... he conveys not just knowledge but also enthusiasm. And I like the bits of Renaissance Tudor era sounding music.

  • @c.a.savage5689

    @c.a.savage5689

    Жыл бұрын

    It would have been nice to hear something other than "Greensleeves.."

  • @Ken_Scaletta
    @Ken_Scaletta2 жыл бұрын

    33:00 That Cromwell portrait is the definition of shifty-eyed. Holbein might as well have written "Don't Trust This Guy" on the painting.

  • @ChristophersMum
    @ChristophersMum Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for bring Waldemar Januszak's documentary on Holbein's portraits to us...such a delight to have such an enthusiastic narrator to guide us to some of the hidden aspects that captured the personalities of each sitter.

  • @grovermartin6874

    @grovermartin6874

    Жыл бұрын

    ChristophersMum, agreed. He has interwoven the extraordinary Holbein's artistry and the events of all those lives and the times so masterfully. He has presented us with his own living art.

  • @valeriebaker9512

    @valeriebaker9512

    Жыл бұрын

    I think that he is one of the finest presenters on television, he has a uniquely entertaining and engaging style.

  • @dalevanremortel5409
    @dalevanremortel5409 Жыл бұрын

    Waldemar Januszcak, the Moderator of the Tudor portraits, does an excellent job of presenting the program. Finally an English producer who can speak the English language so Americans can understand the the words.👏👏

  • @kimberlyperrotis8962
    @kimberlyperrotis89622 жыл бұрын

    Holbein is so greatly underrated, probably because he’s not one of the Italians, but I think he’s the greatest portraitist, ever. The way he can capture the essence of a person in a just a few lines in his sketches is just amazing and his paintings glow with life. His portraits are so realistic and compelling, I don’t think Leonardo can hold a candle to him.

  • @Adushka1976

    @Adushka1976

    2 жыл бұрын

    Leonardo left only 20 paintings half unfinished :-)))))

  • @nicolarollinson4381

    @nicolarollinson4381

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree

  • @sabine4759

    @sabine4759

    2 жыл бұрын

    Henry the 8 was complaining and yelling loudly at him because he portrayed "Anna von Kleve" , the fourth wife of Henry, much prettier than she really was. Holbein waited until the King 's wrath was calming down and explained that it is usual painting princesses this way!

  • @M1710100

    @M1710100

    2 жыл бұрын

    I truly can't say that Holbein is 'underrated'. His paintings might be not a part of the pop culture like Mona Lisa is, but he is renowned as a great Renaissance master worldwide

  • @olavwilhelm6843

    @olavwilhelm6843

    2 жыл бұрын

    Hohlbein is huge in Germany ! And as for Portraitists , the brought up a few good ones but check out the 4 british Reynolds Romney Ramsay and Gainsborough let Alone Elisabeth Vigee Lebrun or Angelika Kauffman . I'd take one of they're works over an Italian at anytime :-) ( with the exception of artemisia Gentileschi ( amazing renaissance portraitist )

  • @valmarsiglia
    @valmarsiglia3 жыл бұрын

    I can vouch for the sentiment regarding the portrait of More at the Frick. When I was there, up close, for a moment it really seemed like he was about to turn around and look at me, it's so amazingly lifelike.

  • @thegreencat9947

    @thegreencat9947

    10 ай бұрын

    I swear...i saw him breathe...and give a little smirk.

  • @debbylou5729
    @debbylou5729 Жыл бұрын

    Holbein is the only artist that , I feel, gives us a truly accurate portraits. I think other painters went with capturing the looks that were fashionable at the time

  • @famprima

    @famprima

    7 ай бұрын

    Never looked at Rembrandt? Freud? come on..

  • @rsr789

    @rsr789

    7 ай бұрын

    The religious stuff is anything but accurate, a blonde haired, blue-eyed baby Jesus? Completely unrealistic Iron Age Judean.

  • @alisoncarney7715
    @alisoncarney7715 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you Waldemar J, for this compelling explanation of Holbein’s symbolism in his masterpieces. I couldn’t stop watching!

  • @robinrainmaker7232
    @robinrainmaker72322 жыл бұрын

    His portraits are like photographs. What a treasure to see what these people really looked like.

  • @angusmcmillan8981

    @angusmcmillan8981

    2 жыл бұрын

    They’re much better!

  • @sarah_noodle

    @sarah_noodle

    2 жыл бұрын

    You kind of have to take it with a grain of salt because a royal/prominent portrait is also propaganda, as the presenter noted. Like, the famous portrait of Henry shows him as a strong and vibrant monarch, when in reality, his health was starting to fail at that time of his life. However, that doesn’t discount the extraordinary detail he was able to capture. His paintings do look like photos!

  • @MsStack42

    @MsStack42

    2 жыл бұрын

    Imagine if a Holbein had been around in earlier periods of History ! In 1066, or the Wars of the Roses ! Such an incredible talent....

  • @robinrainmaker7232

    @robinrainmaker7232

    Жыл бұрын

    @@sarah_noodle true, yes. I suppose I’m thinking that even though his subjects are often made to look better than they were, it gives one a good impression of just people of the time…ie their clothing, hair styles and sometimes make up. Photographic quality.

  • @funjuror

    @funjuror

    Жыл бұрын

    @@angusmcmillan8981 We have no idea what they looked like; this is an artist's view containing his own agendas and bias.

  • @suepem
    @suepem3 жыл бұрын

    I love his sketches of the court. They look like people you would meet today.

  • @DS40764
    @DS40764 Жыл бұрын

    He seemed to capture their emotion and show us who he thought they were. In a time when they couldn't speak freely, he spoke through his art using symbolism (genius).

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    @DS40764: As I said in a prior comment, all that symbolism craptrap doled out by the presenter was exactly that. Historians have had over 300 years to study and publish their pet theories to the world and others mounted that dead horse and rode it a few more miles. If he was including symbolic messages, they were much too subtle for his contemporaries, not to say obscure. Anybody can say what they want now; he never could. We know because he was never executed.

  • @irairod5160
    @irairod5160 Жыл бұрын

    The bit about the broken string, the book of hymns, and the skull was fascinating. Thank you!

  • @gordonfrickers5592
    @gordonfrickers55922 жыл бұрын

    Artist to artist, painter to painter, Holbein ranks among the very greatest. Hats off in salute to Herr Holbein.

  • @ChelseaH1
    @ChelseaH13 жыл бұрын

    The host’s passion is contagious. He is great!

  • @Sam-gw5pl

    @Sam-gw5pl

    3 жыл бұрын

    I’m binge watching at the moment 👍

  • @My2Cents1

    @My2Cents1

    2 жыл бұрын

    A bit cliche and pretentious though. I guess that's something you have to have as an art historian. Seems impossible not to, because most AHs I've ever met talk exactly like him.

  • @nancyfetzek7318

    @nancyfetzek7318

    2 жыл бұрын

    I'm totally besotted with the dude

  • @finosuilleabhain7781

    @finosuilleabhain7781

    2 жыл бұрын

    Seems I'm in a minority of one but he drives me nuts, with the exaggerated emphasis on EVERY. SINGLE. WORD, like we're five years old. Which is a shame because it looks like a really interesting programmme, if only I could get through it.

  • @silva7493

    @silva7493

    2 жыл бұрын

    He is so good.

  • @finch45lear
    @finch45lear Жыл бұрын

    What a tragic loss when this genius died so young. He captivated me as a kid and does 50 years later.

  • @garypuckettmuse
    @garypuckettmuse Жыл бұрын

    That story was utterly fascinating. As always, the script, the shooting, the editing and the opportunities to see these works in their museum settings on a real trip there with the host! Wow, just wow!

  • @v.g.r.l.4072
    @v.g.r.l.40723 жыл бұрын

    I would like to add that his interpretation concerning The Ambassadors as a vanitas painting is deep and insightful. He is very clever and able to arouse a passion for art.

  • @melissasaint3283

    @melissasaint3283

    2 жыл бұрын

    Agree, agree, agree

  • @greggcal4583

    @greggcal4583

    2 жыл бұрын

    Has anyone every read the book: "Humanism and the wreck of Western Civilization"? It is no more than 150 pages but brilliant, and The Ambassadors is analyzed quite well in it. I never looked at a painting again in the same way.

  • @blondelebanese9922

    @blondelebanese9922

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@greggcal4583 And who wrote it, friend

  • @MrAlexsegal

    @MrAlexsegal

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree that his commentary here is good. But seeing this painting as a Vanitas painting has been common for a long time I think.

  • @antidoteify

    @antidoteify

    Жыл бұрын

    His interpretation of the portrait of Mr and Mrs Andrews its hilarious, he has a gift to see the humanity around the art.

  • @atomaalatonal
    @atomaalatonal3 жыл бұрын

    holbein was a fantastic painter, but his drawings are stellar.

  • @poppers7317

    @poppers7317

    2 жыл бұрын

    His fantasy novels are hit and miss though.

  • @purltwotogether8218

    @purltwotogether8218

    2 жыл бұрын

    I agree. They have a quality of such deftness and intimacy.

  • @unicornsarereal8484
    @unicornsarereal8484 Жыл бұрын

    Loved this! As a foreign national living in UK , I've learned so much in less than an hour and this was delivered in such an interesting and engaging way. Thank you. 🙂

  • @mena94x3
    @mena94x3 Жыл бұрын

    I’ve never seen any of these pieces of art in person. I had no idea - especially the portrait of Thomas Moore - was so astoundingly detailed! It blows my mind, it’s gorgeous!

  • @melissasaint3283
    @melissasaint32832 жыл бұрын

    9:06 on the one hand, the young man distracted by a fashionable beauty and stepping into a basket of a poor market peddler's eggs is directly comical on the face of it, like a stunt from the Three Stooges. But it's so worth knowing that in the rich visual symbolism of the Northern Renaissance, accidentally broken eggs often represent unchaste behavior and especially an inappropriate loss of virginity.

  • @cathjj840

    @cathjj840

    Жыл бұрын

    Ok, but whose among this trio?

  • @claudiaarjangi4914

    @claudiaarjangi4914

    Жыл бұрын

    wow.. very cool bit of insight .. thankyou

  • @ek7593
    @ek75933 жыл бұрын

    A Genious. He was lucky that he survived at court :) Especially when Anna von Kleve (born in Düsseldorf) was not the One, the King hoped for. But Holbein painted her so beautiful. Tough times.

  • @mcescher1957

    @mcescher1957

    Жыл бұрын

    Anne of Cleves was an unbelievably intelligent woman....she pretty much orchestrated the "annulment" and afterwards she and Henry were the best of friends, honestly delighting in each others company. Henry gifted her property and wealth, and often referred to her as his "beloved sister". Anne realized that to be wealthy and alive was so much better that "queen for a day" and DEAD! lol.

  • @jessicamartinez3613

    @jessicamartinez3613

    Жыл бұрын

    @@mcescher1957 I agree. I think she used her wits and reckoned correctly that she should get out of the marriage as quickly as possible.

  • @charliebarrow7086
    @charliebarrow7086 Жыл бұрын

    This documentary is nothing short of spectacular. To have art and history combined in such an engaging way is seldom found. I loved every minute. Thank you so much!

  • @paulapridy6804
    @paulapridy6804 Жыл бұрын

    I can watch this guy over and over. And I do.

  • @GildaLee27
    @GildaLee273 жыл бұрын

    Saw another documentary by Waldemar Januszczak on early Christian art which blew my mind. He is an outstanding teacher. I want to watch everything he's done.

  • @phillipstroll7385

    @phillipstroll7385

    2 жыл бұрын

    If he was a teacher he would have told that holbein traced from the camera obscura.

  • @seltaeb3302

    @seltaeb3302

    2 жыл бұрын

    He speaks very different in his early programs ie posh. Which is the real one?

  • @blondelebanese9922

    @blondelebanese9922

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@phillipstroll7385 He only had an hour or less, dude. Go find fault elsewhere.

  • @Coverly

    @Coverly

    2 жыл бұрын

    Oh yeah, the one where he explained how an entire belief system started with some junk from a souvenir stall? Just wait until you get to the Baroque or the Impressionists. ;-)

  • @maureendevries1904

    @maureendevries1904

    Жыл бұрын

    Me too!

  • @kimberlypatton9634
    @kimberlypatton96342 жыл бұрын

    His portraits also capture his veiled interpretation of their inner characters that he expressed in such subtle ways... If you study them greatly , you will start to feel the " vibe " and his own feelings for his subjects that are brilliantly hidden under the guise of propriety and duty for his service he had to uphold on a major degree. However his honesty shines with a tinge of insight..

  • @anndeakin6763

    @anndeakin6763

    Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for your prayers today the day

  • @debbylou5729

    @debbylou5729

    Жыл бұрын

    His are the only portraits that I feel are honest.

  • @acustomer7216

    @acustomer7216

    Жыл бұрын

    I so agree! You can see from Henry's face that he's pompous & an angry unpredictable beast like a wild boar. Cromwell looks cunning and suspicious.

  • @boojay111
    @boojay111 Жыл бұрын

    These original BBC documentaries are for me wonderful. I know I am spoilt as I watch them first on the Beeb but so brilliant to see them on this site. Well done I can now watch them as often as I like. Many thanks to all involved.

  • @larskolme9740
    @larskolme9740 Жыл бұрын

    This guy knows what he's talking about, and knows how to share it in a way that makes it interesting to the one listening.

  • @sabine4759
    @sabine47592 жыл бұрын

    Accidentally I found this documentary and because my interest for history I decided to watch it! Thank you for uploading this wonderful presentation of Holbein ́s Art. He was a great artist. His pictures seemed to be better than today's photos. I didn 't know much of his life, I only knew that he suddenly died of plague while he was painting a picture for the King. The host is a marvellous story-teller and he reminds me of David Starkey who has the same style talking about history!

  • @ashleelarsen7765

    @ashleelarsen7765

    Жыл бұрын

    I needed a nap. 33:00

  • @metteholm4833
    @metteholm48333 жыл бұрын

    The portrait of Thomas Moore is downright fantastic! Holbein has to be the greatest portrait painter ever!

  • @Ogma3bandcamp

    @Ogma3bandcamp

    2 жыл бұрын

    Google 'greatest portrait painter'. You have him ahead of some big hitters there, Rubens, Rembrandt, Titian, Vermeer, Kahlo, da Vinci. Safer to say, 'one of the greatest'.

  • @narmale

    @narmale

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ogma3bandcamp yeah LOL... Rembrandt alone is a VERY hard one to beat

  • @pbohearn

    @pbohearn

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ogma3bandcamp Velazquez, Picasso et al

  • @kmaher1424

    @kmaher1424

    2 жыл бұрын

    Holbein put previous portrait painters in the shade. Many of the later artists mentioned were more interested in expressing themselves than making portraits. Waldemar wonders what Holbein could have done with greater opportunities. Or more time...

  • @catofthecastle1681

    @catofthecastle1681

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@Ogma3bandcamp He was a well taught painter! No genius at all in capturing humanity, only politics!

  • @sunflowerlove60
    @sunflowerlove60 Жыл бұрын

    These are the kinds of paintings I just wanna spend a day with and look at every inch, truly spectacular!

  • @EbonFaerie
    @EbonFaerie Жыл бұрын

    To think that Holbein perfected his craft and was sought after by the King of England all before the age of 45 is astonishing.

  • @collidingforces9589
    @collidingforces95892 жыл бұрын

    This gentleman is brilliant. Clear, fun and educational for all ages.

  • @garrycraigpowell
    @garrycraigpowell2 жыл бұрын

    A superb documentary. I thought I knew Holbein's work fairly well, and am familiar with Tudor history too, but found lots of fascinating insights here. The critique of 'The Ambassadors' is art criticism as its best.

  • @thedativecase9733
    @thedativecase9733 Жыл бұрын

    I still think of Waldemar as "Waldemar Thing" as Private Eye used to call him. His talks on Art - especially Art history are always fascinating and well-informed. His explanation of the Arnolfini painting re-opened my eyes to a work I thought I already knew well.

  • @elizabethfrederick2434
    @elizabethfrederick2434 Жыл бұрын

    I am intrigued by the subtle ideas that are in this art.

  • @curiousnomad
    @curiousnomad3 жыл бұрын

    I love the way Waldemar always sets you up. “ If you thought you knew... well I’m here to tell you that you were wrong!”

  • @lanceash

    @lanceash

    Жыл бұрын

    Yeah, that's his whole schtick. "I'm right and you're wrong!"

  • @metteholm4833
    @metteholm48333 жыл бұрын

    WOW! I never thought, Henry 8th looked like that i "real life". Holbein was a snapshot photogapher! His portraits are unbelievable! His precision is impeccable

  • @banjopete

    @banjopete

    2 жыл бұрын

    You’ve never seen these paintings before?...you should get out more.

  • @scipioafricanus5871

    @scipioafricanus5871

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@banjopete Probably not the best time in world history to "get out more".

  • @pectenmaximus231

    @pectenmaximus231

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@banjopete the list of things which to others are essentials of culture, yet which you have never seen or heard of yourself, could not be read aloud in full in your lifetime, so why don’t you reflect on what a complete ass you’ve been

  • @kweejibodali3078

    @kweejibodali3078

    2 жыл бұрын

    He was handsome and athletic when young, tall... he was a typical Plantagenet in physicality as well as a Tudor, his mom Elizabeth of york and paternal grandmother Margaret Beaufort, were both Plantagenet. Both Margaret and maternal grandmother Elizabeth Woodville were beauties in their day as well as exceptionally crafty, resourceful, and tenacious. Henry 8th, even if many dont like him, had a strong background. It is not surprising that Henry s daughter was Elizabeth I the Great

  • @gr3yh4wk1
    @gr3yh4wk1 Жыл бұрын

    Only recently got into this kind of subject and I am truly amazed at how a historian can bring, in such vivid detail, life, politics and imagery from 500 years ago. I recently watched Simon Schama's history of britain and I actually cried at the episode with Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots. This documentary was truly exceptional. Bravo!

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    @hr3yh4wk1: 300 years ago, still have a ways to even be 400.

  • @joysgirl
    @joysgirl Жыл бұрын

    Januszczak keeps you engaged with his wonderful presentation. This was brilliant and fascinating.

  • @lacouerfairy
    @lacouerfairy2 жыл бұрын

    Holbein's portrait of Thomas More looks like a photograph. The most realistic of all his portraits.

  • @AviViljoen

    @AviViljoen

    2 жыл бұрын

    Realistic? How do you know what Thomas More looked like?

  • @thesqueedler
    @thesqueedler Жыл бұрын

    I’ve seen More’s portrait at the Frick and words are not adequate. It’s heart stoppingly magnificent, like you are actually looking through a window to 400+ years ago, and More is about to turn to you and start talking.

  • @OdysseusMDA
    @OdysseusMDA Жыл бұрын

    How strange that as history goes on "we're encouraged to think better" of some real monsters. However this is an extraordinarily amazing documentary. Tryly a masterpiece.

  • @amybarrett7300
    @amybarrett7300 Жыл бұрын

    Fascinating. I’ve always loved art history and the Tudor period. Great in-depth look into Holbein.

  • @karennorris7880
    @karennorris78802 жыл бұрын

    This was so wonderful. Thank you! I found it fascinating how the triptych alterpiece painted by Hans the Elder shows the father with his hand on Hans the Younger's head and his other hand is pointing to Hans the Younger. His father must have realized very early on that his younger son had an extraordinary gift.

  • @lauralake7430

    @lauralake7430

    2 жыл бұрын

    I wonder what happend to the other son?

  • @cutzymccall7675
    @cutzymccall76752 жыл бұрын

    I'm so in love with Holbein. That first portrait of Henry VIII shows the street thug he really was. Later, he became THE KING. Because of Holbein. Thank you for this!

  • @paloma4444

    @paloma4444

    Жыл бұрын

    street thug???

  • @ralphlyda4545

    @ralphlyda4545

    Жыл бұрын

    Henry VIII had wives beheaded. Yes. Street thug.

  • @blatann4953
    @blatann4953 Жыл бұрын

    Superlative presentation of Holbein's artistic masterpieces.

  • @katarzynamuszynska5426
    @katarzynamuszynska5426 Жыл бұрын

    He is true art lover and it shows He is interesting ,funny and approachable

  • @karenhanson6837
    @karenhanson68372 жыл бұрын

    The narrator is a real artist. He painted a picture of Holbein using words, his body movement, setting that captivated me both visually and mentally!

  • @marinamercouri1683
    @marinamercouri16833 жыл бұрын

    Did you mention that Erasmus wrote In Praise of Folly while he was a guest of Thomas Moore's in London? After a spirited spoken exchange on the topic, Moore urged Erasmus to put it all in writing. No wonder Holbein felt really close to Moore.

  • @thomastallerico6340
    @thomastallerico6340 Жыл бұрын

    Beautiful portraits. How wonderful the way he paints velvet.

  • @amacdessi
    @amacdessi Жыл бұрын

    Interesting video. Hans Holbein, indeed, painted amazing portraits. I took issue with a couple things -- the miniature presented as Katherine Howard is thought not to be her, but Anna of Cleves in English-style clothing -- possibly a last-ditch effort to make her more appealing to Henry in an effort to save the marriage -- given that Katherine was thought of as "a beauty" and the woman in the miniature does not display typical hallmarks of feminine beauty of that time. The other issue was that we have no idea what Catherine Parr looked like because Holbein did not paint her -- we may not know what Holbein's representation of Catherine Parr would have looked like, but there is an amazing portrait of Parr painted by Susannah Hornebolt, the first-known female artist in England.

  • @prichardgs
    @prichardgs Жыл бұрын

    I could watch these episodes all day!!! WONDERFUL!!!!!! Thank you Waldemar!

  • @dianamarquez4774
    @dianamarquez47742 жыл бұрын

    I love Tudor history and Mr. Januszczak gives a lively, funny and much more psychological accuracy than many books I've read. I love his Mao Zedong comment. In fact, a bunch of his comments. "Don't worry, we know exactly what she looks like."

  • @randyastle3301
    @randyastle3301 Жыл бұрын

    I’ve seen the Thomas More portrait dozens of times at the Frick, including now in the Breuer building, plus other royal portraits from the two years I lived in London. But this really helps put them all in historical context and that of his own career. Thanks for posting these here where a global audience can learn from them.

  • @mintonmedia
    @mintonmedia Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for bringing Holbein to life in a creatively new--and most "spiffing"--way!

  • @doolittlke
    @doolittlke3 жыл бұрын

    Highest quality talk revealing unforgettable sights and details on Holbein: his art and influence on how we see Henry VIII, Cromwell, Moore etc

  • @miklosdavid7627
    @miklosdavid7627 Жыл бұрын

    Hans Holbein the Younger, one of the greatest painters in a fascinating lecture that reveals a lot more than just showing his best pictures. Thorougly enjoyed it thanks to Waldemar Januszczak's presentation. 🙏👋

  • @LaPinturaBella
    @LaPinturaBella Жыл бұрын

    Thank you for such a thorough and entertaining lesson on Holbein. He has long been one of my Top 10 favorite artists of all time. His drawings and paintings are just exquisite. And now I also know he led an equally fascinating life, albeit a far too short life. I am grateful for this history of this talented painter.

  • @melinda6024
    @melinda6024 Жыл бұрын

    Holbein was an amazing artist, almost like ancient photography

  • @grahamhodge8313
    @grahamhodge83132 жыл бұрын

    I am blown away by this. What an excellent view of Holbein.

  • @DelightLovesMovies
    @DelightLovesMovies2 жыл бұрын

    Those portraits by Holbein are amazing and beautiful.

  • @unagiikura
    @unagiikura Жыл бұрын

    I can't believ how good this is😭

  • @davidcollins2648
    @davidcollins2648 Жыл бұрын

    Holbein was remarkably versatile in all the object design he executed. Scroll ornamentation takes most years of dedicated practice to master yet it flowed from him as naturally as his art. No one has ever captured flesh colors in such "enhanced realism". A bit like Picasso only revealing colors that would appear at different times in a single moment. They're all there; the reds the blues, the greens, the browns yet so well blended as to never appear distinct from each other. Holbein was centuries ahead of his time. Durer would be another such master.

  • @wolsch3435
    @wolsch34352 жыл бұрын

    In Holbein's entire lifetime, Augsburg, his native city, was not Bavarian, but a free imperial city, wealthy, powerful and important. Diets were held there and the "birth certificate" of the Lutheran Church, the "Confessio Augustana", was announced here. The city remained largely Catholic, but had a significant Protestant minority. Augsburg only came to Bavaria in 1805 during the many Napoleonic upheavals of the old order. The Augsburgers are more Swabian than Bavarian.

  • @fleur7891

    @fleur7891

    Жыл бұрын

    Not all art appreciators have all the information, this one has had some criticism oafter other documentaries and some have been knowledgeable enough to share the corrected information as you have, with other viewers.. Thank you for your informative comment.

  • @kriley9386

    @kriley9386

    Жыл бұрын

    "More Swabian than Bavarian” Well, yeah. Like, that explains all that stuff. Not to mention the Pomeranians and the Westrich.

  • @wolsch3435

    @wolsch3435

    Жыл бұрын

    @@kriley9386 Well, I know who the Pomeranians are. But who are the Westrich? Please, please tell me more about them. Don't leave me ignorant. Thank you in advance

  • @pbohearn
    @pbohearn2 жыл бұрын

    “The Ambassadors” is right up there with Velazquez’s “Las Meninas” as a psychological masterpiece

  • @Angie-mm9rn
    @Angie-mm9rn Жыл бұрын

    Absolutely BRILLIANT! An art lesson delivered with so much wit is not only informative but also highly entertaining!

  • @rockyroad7345
    @rockyroad7345 Жыл бұрын

    I took a minor in art history, but this is on another level of lecturing. Enjoyed it tremendously. I'm a huge fan of Waldemar now.

  • @loditx7706

    @loditx7706

    5 ай бұрын

    I dislike art historians. Them that can, do. Them that can’t, teach. And often history is romanticized, but mostly, editorialized.

  • @electr1crown
    @electr1crown3 жыл бұрын

    "Welcome to the Hans Holbein dating agency" Too funny!

  • @malcolmjamieson2613
    @malcolmjamieson2613 Жыл бұрын

    What a joy it is to accompany Januszczak on his eccentric, illuminating and wonderfully entertaining journeys through the history of art. One learns so much, without having to endure dull, dry lectures: He has such an original imagination and vivid, lively means of expression, based on profound scholarship. Our attention is held, spellbound, throughout. Bravo! Encore!

  • @jwport580
    @jwport5806 ай бұрын

    Januszczak's art documentaries are briliant. He weaves the history, personal stories and the technical art information into stories that are educational, humorous and illuminating.

  • @brianmallon1810
    @brianmallon1810 Жыл бұрын

    I loved your insistance on Holbein's judgements, of character and merit. They coincide with my own prejudices in these matters.

  • @marissadower-morgan3313
    @marissadower-morgan33133 жыл бұрын

    If you want the Holbin look in photography use a ring strobe , better in a darker room or on the end of the afternoon out side , for a great portrait with a definite dark line around the portrait subject . This is what give s a great 3 D effect , as is exemplified in Holbin's portraits .

  • @frakkintoasterluvva7920
    @frakkintoasterluvva79202 жыл бұрын

    Henry wasn't disappointed by Anne of Cleves' looks. That was his cover story. He was disappointed by the fact that she didn't realize it was him when he came to court her incognito and had a negative reaction to what he looked and acted like when she didn't know he was the King she was meant to marry.

  • @casteretpollux

    @casteretpollux

    2 жыл бұрын

    That's so vivid that I think you must have been there.

  • @frakkintoasterluvva7920

    @frakkintoasterluvva7920

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@casteretpollux People who described it were. Shock, horror, people in the 16th century knew how o write! That's how you got every piece of info about Henry VIII.

  • @casteretpollux

    @casteretpollux

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@frakkintoasterluvva7920 So who wrote that down?

  • @frakkintoasterluvva7920

    @frakkintoasterluvva7920

    2 жыл бұрын

    @@casteretpollux Eustace Chapuys, Spanish Ambassador. Probably taken from someone else's account. Anyway, out of curiosity, why didn't you ask the same questions of the person who made this video? They are not a time traveller either and they did not provide footnotes for their info...

  • @kellyalves756

    @kellyalves756

    Жыл бұрын

    I think they both just didn’t vibe. I think if that expression existed at the time, both would have made use of it.

  • @equicar
    @equicar Жыл бұрын

    I am so thankful for your art history class .. ❤❤❤

  • @tinatieden8499
    @tinatieden8499 Жыл бұрын

    this is not what I usually watch on youtube , I loved this !

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