Hans Holbein d.Ä.

The “Gray Passion” is one of Hans Holbein the Elder’s great masterpieces, as well as one of the most unusual passion cycles in German art. Painted between 1494 and 1500, the cycle’s title refers to its color scheme. This set of panels occupies a unique position within European painting. Holbein, who was probably born in Augsburg around 1465, was one of the most important painters of his time, in a class with Martin Schongauer and Albrecht Dürer. His art places him between eras, on the threshold between Late Gothic and the Renaissance. Thanks to the inclusion of an exemplary selection of works by Holbein’s predecessors and contemporaries, this publication sheds light on the artistic background and impact of the “Gray Passion.” Thorough documentation provides insight into the elaborate restoration of the cycle’s twelve panels.   Exhibition schedule: Staatsgalerie Stuttgart, November 27, 2010–March 20, 2011