Holbein: Renaissance Master

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Praise for Holbein: Renaissance Master

'Superb ... Goldring considers Holbein from numerous angles, placing him in the thick of the political and religious turmoil of his times. While unafraid to ask questions to which there are no clear answers, with hundreds of judicious touches she paints a fittingly masterful portrait of an enigmatic and supremely gifted man.' - Susan Owens, World of Interiors, March 2026

'A superb biography ... While many important studies have focused on Holbein's work in either Basel or England, Goldring looks at his life as a whole and draws new information from scant archival sources. The Holbein who emerges from her book is a well-rounded figure: an ambitious, business-savvy workaholic, 'not averse to a brawl' (perhaps, Goldring suggests, he did push that earl down the stairs), yet able to produce work of such sensitivity that he won commissions from some of the greatest patrons in Europe.' - Kate Heard, London Review of Books, 19 February 2026

'Her handsome and superbly illustrated book is intelligent and well written, and scrupulously examines the documentary evidence.' - Jeffrey Meyers, The Article, February 2026

'Superb ... This is a biography that shuns the temptations of romanticism or novelistic imaginings without ever losing sight of the human at its centre. While specialists will linger on the careful handing of the evidence, the judicious approach to old debates, and a welcome emphasis on Holbein's work beyond portraiture, what is remarkable is the extent to which - despite Goldring's restraint - Holbein himself emerges as a living figure. ... It is hard to see 'Holbein: Renaissance Master' being bettered any time soon.' - Tim Smith-Laing, Apollo, February 2026

‘Superb and ground-breaking … it is hard to imagine how this biography could be bettered – it is bold without being eccentric, unfailingly alert to context and possibility, and entertainingly readable throughout. The book itself is a thing of beauty, adorned with over 250 high-quality and meticulously placed colour illustrations. It is a work of craftsmanship of which Holbein himself might have approved.’ – Peter Marshall, Literary Review, December 2025/January 2026

'The art book of the year for me has only just been published: Elizabeth Goldring's Holbein: Renaissance Master, a superbly written and magnificently produced tribute to an artist who was far more than a Court painter for Henry VIII.' - Michael Hall, Country Life ('The Best Books of the Year'), 10/17 December 2025 ('Christmas Double Issue')

'Meticulously detailed, judicious and perceptive, it will surely prove the definitive account of Holbein's life, and of the life and afterlife of his work, for many years to come.' - Mathew Lyons, The Spectator, 6 December 2025

'One of the countless merits of Elizabeth Goldring's Holbein: Renaissance Master, a work of consummate scholarship, is to stress how lucky we were that he came to pictorially philistine England rather than staying on the Continent.' - Michael Prodger, The New Statesman ('Books of the Year'), 5-11 December 2025.

'Authoritative and richly illustrated ... goes well beyond biography ... offers an overview of early Tudor art patronage and collecting' - Nicholas Cranfield, Church Times, 5 December 2025

'Tis the season for excellent biographies of great artists!' - Michael Glover, The Tablet, 4 December 2025 ('Books of the Year')

'Astounds' - Katie Fraser, The Bookseller, 1 December 2025

'It is hard to imagine that another biography will be required for quite some time.' - David Ekserdjian, The Oldie, December 2025.

'Immaculate and scholarly ... an extraordinary command of the archives' - Michael Prodger, Engelsberg Ideas, 1 December 2025

‘A magnificent celebration of the artist who, more than any other, shaped our vision of the Tudors … A huge, sumptuous feast of a book.’ – Laura Freeman, The Times (‘The Ten Best Art Books of 2025’), 29 November 2025

'Such a brilliant piece of historiography, and illustrative of her complete mastery of both the immediate sources and the wider circumstantial evidence for Holbein's life and work.' - Mathew Lyons, Broken Compass

‘Magnificent … [Holbein’s] great achievement was to bring before us the living, breathing men and women who plotted, suffered, contrived and triumphed through the most terrifying decades of English history. And it is Goldring’s achievement to show us the magic by which this happened.’ – Kathryn Hughes, The Guardian, 29 November 2025

‘Authoritative and no-nonsense but rarely dry … [Goldring] doesn’t shy away from the unruliness and violence of 16^th-century society, nixing any notion that Holbein led a cloistered, academic life. In this telling, as well as having a messy love life, Holbein liked his beer, and seemingly once got into trouble for brawling in the street.’ – Alastair Sooke,The Daily Telegraph, 29 November 2025

‘Holbein’s pictures must have seemed miraculous when they appeared in Tudor England. In fact they still do. Seeing them is like opening a window into the past … Elizabeth Goldring’s splendid Holbein: Renaissance Master,richly illustrated, readable yet highly scholarly, does justice to his achievement.’ – Martin Gayford, The Spectator (‘Best Art Books of 2025'), 15 November 2025

‘Remarkable … . In Britain, Holbein is primarily remembered for his portraits … but this fine book gives us the wider picture, including his metalwork designs. There is hardly an illustration that one can look at without murmuring “heavens, that’s good”.’ – Huon Mallalieu, Country Life, 12 November 2025

‘Deeply researched … Holbein the artist comes vividly to life, with Goldring’s careful analysis supplemented by more than 250 high-quality reproductions … [an] engaging and beautiful book’ – Katherine Harvey, The Times (‘Book of the Week’), 1 November 2025

‘Definitive’ – Arts Society Magazine, autumn 2025