Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago

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In this episode Alastair and James tell the first part of the story of the life and work of Hans Holbein the Younger.

How did Hans Holbein become court painter to Henry VIII, one of the most notorious monarchs in British history? Without his stunning portraits would the Tudor period burn so brightly in the imagination?

Join Alastair and James to find out how Holbein, an artist from a small town in southern Germany ended up kickstarting the story of British art.

Featured Artworks in this episode include: Hans Holbein the Younger, The Ambassadors, 1533, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Self Portrait, c.1542-43, Uffizi Gallery, Florence Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1523, The National Gallery, London Hans Holbein the Younger, Portrait of Sir Thomas More, 1527, Frick Collection, New York Hans Holbein the Younger, Study for a Portrait of Thomas More’s Family, c. 1527, Kunstmuseum, Basel

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