Four Drawings of Apostles by Hans Holbein the Younger, Hans Holbein the Younger, 1518

Four chiaroscuro drawings of apostles. Pen and ink and brush, grey wash, white heightening, on grey-brown prepared paper, musée des beaux-arts, lille. (clockwise from top left) the apostle simon the apostle james the great the apostle philip the apostle james the less these four sheets are from a group known as "the lille apostles". Eight chiaroscuro drawings have survived, six signed hh and three dated 1518. In that year, holbein was living and working in lucerne, switzerland. The purpose of the drawings is unknown, but drawings of individual apostles were popular in the lower rhine area in holbein's time, and these may have been intended as illustrations to be pasted into a book (müller, 186–88). For the other drawings see st peter and st bartholomew and st john and st andrew. Date: 1518.