Editing Hans Holbein the Younger (section)

=== Last years and death, 1540–1543 ===

Holbein had deftly survived the downfall of his first two great patrons, Thomas More and [[Anne Boleyn]], but Cromwell's sudden arrest and execution on trumped-up charges of heresy and treason in 1540 undoubtedly damaged his career.<ref>Wilson, 265; Schofield, 260–64. Cromwell's reluctance to arrange a divorce for Henry lay naked behind his fall, though the matter was not mentioned in the bill of [[attainder]].</ref> Though Holbein retained his position as King's Painter, Cromwell's death left a gap no other patron could fill. It was, ironically, Holbein's portrait of [[Anne of Cleves]] which largely led to Cromwell's downfall: furious at being saddled with a wife he found entirely unattractive, the King directed all his anger at Cromwell. Granted, Cromwell had exaggerated her beauty,<ref>{{Cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=0C1LAwAAQBAJ&q=cromwell%20anne%20of%20cleves%20her%20charms&pg=PA118 | title=Thomas Cranmer and the English Reformation, 1489–1556| isbn=9781592448654| last1=Pollard| first1=Alfred W| date=14 September 2004| publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers}}</ref> but there is no evidence that Henry blamed Holbein for supposedly flattering Anne's looks.

[[File:Astronomical clock, design by Hans Holbein the Younger.jpg|thumb|upright|''Design for [[Anthony Denny]]'s Clocksalt, 1543.'' Pen and black ink on paper with grey wash, and red wash on the compass, [[British Museum]], London.<ref>Foister, 76–77. A clock salt was a complex instrument, including a clock, hourglass, sundial and compass.</ref>]]
Apart from routine official duties, Holbein now occupied himself with private commissions, turning again to portraits of Steelyard merchants. He also painted some of his finest miniatures, including those of [[Henry Brandon, 2nd Duke of Suffolk|Henry Brandon]] and [[Charles Brandon, 3rd Duke of Suffolk|Charles Brandon]], sons of Henry VIII's friend [[Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk]] and his fourth wife, [[Catherine Willoughby]]. Holbein managed to secure commissions among those courtiers who now jockeyed for power, in particular from [[Anthony Denny]], one of the two chief gentlemen of the bedchamber. He became close enough to Denny to borrow money from him.<ref>Wilson, 273, 276; North, 31. Holbein asked in his will for "Mr Anthony, the king's servant of Greenwich", to be repaid; scholars have usually presumed this to be Denny.</ref> He painted Denny's portrait in 1541 and two years later designed a clock-salt<ref>A clock-salt was essentially a combined clock and [[salt-cellar]], sometimes with other functions.{{cite web | title=A Royal Treasure and its Role in the Renaissance Court: The Royal Clock Salt | website=Royal Historical Society | date=17 October 2018 | url=https://royalhistsoc.org/calendar/a-royal-treasure-and-its-role-in-the-renaissance-court-the-royal-clock-salt/}}</ref> for him. Denny was part of a circle that gained influence in 1542 after the failure of Henry's marriage to [[Catherine Howard]]. The king's marriage in July 1543 to the reformist [[Catherine Parr]], whose brother Holbein had painted in 1541, established Denny's party in power.

Holbein may have visited his wife and children in late 1540, when his leave of absence from Basel expired. None of his work dates from this period, and the Basel authorities paid him six months' salary in advance.<ref>Wilson, 267. Also, his uncle, the painter Sigmund Holbein, had died that autumn in [[Bern]], leaving him substantial money and effects.</ref> The state of Holbein's marriage has intrigued scholars, who base their speculations on fragmentary evidence. Apart from one brief visit, Holbein had lived apart from Elsbeth since 1532. His will reveals that he had two infant children in England, of whom nothing is known except that they were in the care of a nurse.<ref>Wilson, 245, 269; North, 31.</ref> 

Holbein's unfaithfulness to Elsbeth may not have been new. Some scholars believe that Magdalena Offenburg, the model for the ''Darmstadt Madonna'' and for two portraits painted in Basel, was for a time Holbein's mistress.<ref>North, 26; Wilson, 112–13.</ref> Others dismiss the idea.<ref>Claussen, 50. Claussen dismisses the theory as "pure nonsense".</ref> One of the portraits was of [[Lais of Corinth]], mistress of [[Apelles]], the famous artist of Greek antiquity after whom Holbein was named in humanist circles.<ref>Wilson, 112–13.</ref> Whatever the case, it is likely that Holbein always supported his wife and children.<ref>Müller, ''et al.'', 13; Wilson, 253, 268. Franz Schmid, Elsbeth's son by her first husband, travelled to Berne to take possession of Sigmund Holbein's estate in 1540. This implies that Hans Holbein's finances were still shared with his wife. Franz Schmid succeeded to the estate in Berne on 4 January 1541.</ref> When Elsbeth died in 1549, she was well off and still owned many of Holbein's fine clothes; on the other hand, she had sold his portrait of her before his death.<ref>Wilson, 253–54, 268, 278. Philipp and Jakob Holbein later became goldsmiths, the first moving to Augsburg, the second to London, where he died in 1552. The two daughters married merchants in Basel.</ref>

Hans Holbein died between 7 October and 29 November 1543 at the age of 45.<ref>Wilson, 277</ref> [[Karel van Mander]] stated in the early 17th century that he died of the plague. Wilson regards the story with caution since Holbein's friends attended his bedside; and Peter Claussen suggests that he died of an infection.<ref>Claussen, 53.</ref> Describing himself as "servant to the king's majesty", Holbein made his will on 7 October at his home in [[Aldgate]]. The goldsmith [[Hans of Antwerp|John of Antwerp]] and a few German neighbours signed as witnesses.<ref>Wilson, 276.</ref> 

Holbein may have been in a hurry, because the will was not witnessed by a lawyer. On 29 November, John of Antwerp, the subject of several of Holbein's portraits, legally undertook the administration of the artist's last wishes. He presumably settled Holbein's debts, arranged for the care of his two children, and sold and dispersed his effects, including many designs and preliminary drawings that have survived.<ref>Wilson, 278.</ref> The site of Holbein's grave is unknown and may never have been marked. The churches of [[St Katherine Cree]] or [[St Andrew Undershaft]] in London are possible locations, being located near his house.<ref>Wilson, 277; Foister, 168; Bätschmann and Griener, 10. From the location of his house, scholars deduce that Holbein was buried in either the church of St Katherine Cree or in that of St Andrew Undershaft.</ref>