Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap

Hans Holbein the Younger German

Not on view


Holbein painted this small roundel about 1532–35, after his return to England. The young sitter can be identified as a court official, for he wears the livery of Henry VIII, with the initials H[R] for Henricus Rex embroidered in black on his red coat. The frame is original and the reverse is painted black and decorated with engraved circles. It is possible that the portrait, which is in excellent condition, originally had a protective painted lid. Such intimate portrait capsules were easily portable, as well as more affordable than larger-scale likenesses.

Portrait of a Man in a Red Cap, Hans Holbein the Younger (German, Augsburg 1497/98–1543 London), Oil and gold on parchment, laid down on linden

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.