Hans Holbein the Younger - The merchant Georg Gisze

• Title: The merchant Georg Gisze
• Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger (c.1497-1543)
• Date: 1532
• Medium: Oil on oak panel
• Dimensions: 96 x 86 cm

“The merchant Georg Gisze” was one of a series of portraits of wealthy merchants made by Holbein in the 1530s in London. The portrait showed the wealth of the merchant and included many very finely painted details denoting how successful the merchant was and also demonstrating how talented the painter was- the rich fabrics, the pot with coins, the written invoices, the globe (worldwide reach), etc.

This portrait signaled the increasing importance of the merchant class in Northern Europe, where rich bourgeoisie became the primary subjects and clients of portraits.