Original Artwork: Composition with Hans Holbein. – Anni Heuchel

21 x 29.75 cm
Oil on Wood

The painting “Composition with Hans Holbein” is based on a portrait painted by Hans Holbein in 1541, presumably of Roelof de Vos van Steenwijk, a relatively unknown and important man. I discovered it during a visit to the Berlin Picture Gallery and was fascinated by the purity and naturalness of the face depicted. It radiates a carefreeness and freedom from conflict that is rarely found today. This fascination can possibly be traced back to a harmony that man experienced with nature in the 16th century. At that time, the distinction between nature and culture was not yet so pronounced. People lived in harmony with their surroundings, using nature as a source of nourishment but not elevating themselves above it. This deep connection to nature and the absence of modern conflicts have a calming and inspiring effect today. So I have integrated the gentleman into a harmonious composition and transformed his hat into a soil for a flower bulb to thrive.