Table of Cebes - Hans Holbein the Younger
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Description
A detailed 1537 woodcut by Hans Holbein the Younger, depicting the allegorical Table of Cebes as a title page for a classical lexicon.
This woodcut serves as the title page for the 1537 Lexicon Graecolatinum, published in Basel by Johannes Valder. Hans Holbein the Younger, a master of the Northern Renaissance, designed this complex allegorical frame to surround the central typographic information. The composition draws upon the Tabula Cebetis, an ancient Greek philosophical dialogue that describes a metaphorical path of human life, moral choices, and the pursuit of true happiness.
Holbein organises the scene into distinct zones. At the base, figures represent the entrance into life, where the Genius figure guides individuals. As the eye moves upward, the narrative branches into various paths, depicting vices and virtues through small, crowded vignettes. These figures are labelled with Latin inscriptions, guiding the viewer through the moral geography of the allegory. At the summit, the 'Arx Verae Felicitatis' (Citadel of True Happiness) sits, representing the ultimate goal of the virtuous life.
The central rectangular space contains the book title and publication details, framed by a delicate floral device featuring a bird. Holbein employs a precise, linear style characteristic of his graphic work, allowing for a high density of detail within a relatively small format. The contrast between the structured, central text block and the fluid, narrative border creates a balance between the functional requirements of a title page and the artistic ambition of the illustrator. This work demonstrates the integration of classical humanism with the visual language of the sixteenth century, reflecting the intellectual climate of Basel during the Reformation era. The print remains a significant example of how Renaissance artists utilised allegorical imagery to provide moral context for scholarly texts.
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Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Table of Cebes - Hans Holbein the Younger
Artist Biography
Hans Holbein The Younger
He was born in Augsburg, Germany, the son of a painter also called Hans Holbein. He studied under his father and was working independently by his late teens. He moved to Basel, where he painted portraits and religious works and illustrated Erasmus's In Praise of Folly with marginal drawings. Erasmus recommended him to Thomas More in England, writing that 'the arts are freezing' in Basel and Holbein should try his luck elsewhere.
He arrived in London in 1526 and painted More's family portrait, the first group portrait of a domestic scene in Northern European art. He returned to Basel, found the Reformation had destroyed the market for religious art, and went back to England permanently in 1532.
His portraits of the Tudor court are the visual record of the period: Thomas More, Thomas Cromwell, Anne Boleyn (probably), Jane Seymour, and the succession of courtiers and merchants who populated Henry's orbit. The technique is almost supernaturally precise. The textures of fur, velvet, jewellery, and skin are rendered with a fidelity that makes other portraitists look approximate.
He was sent to paint prospective brides for Henry, including Anne of Cleves, whose portrait Henry found more attractive than the person. Holbein was not blamed. He died during a plague outbreak in London in 1543, at forty-five.
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