In 2003 the sitter was identified as Hans Schwarzwaldt (1513-1575) based on a resemblance to the subject of another portrait miniature painted by Holbein in 1543. That portrait, with the inscription ANNO ETATIS // SVÆ 24 1543, indicating that the sitter was twenty-four in 1543 (and therefore born circa 1519), was looted from the Danzig Museum (now the Gdańsk National Museum) by the German occupation forces in 1943, then claimed by the Soviet Union’s Red Army as spoils of war in 1945. The portrait, one of a number of works of art subject to restitution requests by the Polish government, is located at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, Moscow. In 2016 the young man was identified as Gregory Cromwell (c.1520–1551), son of Thomas Cromwell, Earl of Essex, chief minister to Henry VIII.
References
Buck, Stephanie; Sander, Jochen (2003). Hans Holbein the Younger, 1497/98-1543: Portraitist of the Renaissance. Catalogue for the exhibition, Hans Holbein 1497/98-1543, 16 August–16 November 2003. Essays, Stephanie Buck, Jochen Sander; catalogue, Ariane van Suchtelen, Quentin Buvelot, Peter van der Ploeg; with appendices by Bieke van der Mark and Epco Runia. The Hague: Royal Cabinet of Paintings Mauritshuis. ISBN904008906X, cat. 35, p. 138, ill., 1 pl. (col.): "On the basis of the similarity of facial features and in particular the characteristic angle of the cropped hair, it could even be conjectured that the two portraits depict the same person."
Chamberlain, A. B. (1913) Hans Holbein the Younger. Vol. 2, pp. 229–230: Notes that the sitter's features "appear more English than German, and that it most probably represents the son of some personage about Henry's court."
This is a faithful photographic reproduction of a two-dimensional, public domain work of art. The work of art itself is in the public domain for the following reason:
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The author died in 1543, so this work is in the public domain in its country of origin and other countries and areas where the copyright term is the author's life plus 100 years or fewer.
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Captions
Portrait miniature of a young man, perhaps Gregory Cromwell (c.1520-1551), c. 1535-1540, by Hans Holbein the Younger.
Portretminiatuur van een jonge man, misschien Gregory Cromwell (c.1520-1551), c. 1535-1540, door Hans Holbein de Jonge.
Portret młodego mężczyzny, prawdopodobnie Gregory’ego Cromwella (autor: Hans Holbein)
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