COULD YOUR ARTWORK BE BY HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER?

Previously unknown works by important artists continue to emerge from private collections, estates, inheritances, and long-held family possessions. While authentic works by Hans Holbein the Younger are exceptionally rare and closely studied, every work deserves to be evaluated on its own merits rather than dismissed simply because it is unfamiliar or undocumented.

If you believe your painting, drawing, or portrait miniature may be by Hans Holbein the Younger, obtaining an independent professional opinion is the appropriate first step.

We have specialized in the authentication of works attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger since 2002. We issue Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), Authentication Reports, appraisals, valuations, provenance reports, and provide buying, selling, brokerage, and investment advisory services for collectors, attorneys, insurers, financial institutions, estates, museums, and private clients worldwide.

Getting started is straightforward. Simply send us photographs of the work together with its dimensions and any information you have regarding its history or ownership. After reviewing the material, we will recommend the most appropriate course of action.

AUTHENTICATION

Is this a Hans Holbein the Younger?

From a single photograph of ordinary quality, we can often determine whether a work appears broadly consistent with Holbein’s period and artistic practice or whether it clearly does not. A serious attribution, however, requires much more. Holbein’s portraits were influential and extensively copied, and distinctions between autograph works, workshop production, contemporary copies, later copies, and paintings by followers require careful examination.

What services do you provide?

We provide authentication, certification, Certificates of Authenticity (COAs), Authentication Reports, appraisals and valuations, provenance research, private sales and brokerage, investment advice, and analytical art market research.

Is it possible to discover a previously unknown Hans Holbein the Younger today?

Yes. Although Holbein’s accepted oeuvre has been studied extensively, previously unidentified or incorrectly attributed works can still emerge. Early portraits may have lost their original identities, been altered by restoration, or passed through collections under broader German, Swiss, or English School attributions. Any potentially significant work should therefore be evaluated on the complete evidence.

Do I need to get my Hans Holbein the Younger authenticated?

Yes. Authentication is essential if you wish to sell your work for its full market value. It is also important for insurance, estate planning, charitable donations, financing, and many legal purposes.

Is it complicated to get a Hans Holbein the Younger authenticated?

Not for you. Simply send us photographs of the front and reverse, close-up photographs of the face, hands, costume, signature or inscriptions, support, edges, labels, seals, and other important details, together with the dimensions and anything you know about the work’s history. The investigation itself is our responsibility.

How long does it take to authenticate a Hans Holbein the Younger?

It depends on how much is already known about the work when we begin the investigation. A preliminary assessment may sometimes be completed relatively quickly, while a serious attribution to Holbein can require extensive provenance research, comparative study, technical imaging, and scientific examination and may take several months.

How much does it cost to authenticate a Hans Holbein the Younger?

From the low hundreds to the high thousands. It depends on how much is already known and documented, where relevant archives and comparative works are located, and whether travel, technical imaging, or scientific testing is required.

Can a signature alone prove that a Hans Holbein the Younger painting is authentic?

No. A signature, monogram, date, or inscription cannot establish authorship by itself. It must be considered together with the support, ground, pigments, underdrawing, painting technique, provenance, condition, costume, inscriptions, and relationship to securely attributed works.

Can an unsigned Hans Holbein the Younger painting still be authentic?

Yes. The absence of a signature does not by itself make a painting attributed to Holbein inauthentic. Attribution depends on the complete stylistic, technical, material, and documentary evidence.

What documents help authenticate a Hans Holbein the Younger artwork?

Any document that mentions, describes, illustrates, or refers to the work may assist the authentication. Historic collection inventories, family records, correspondence, photographs, sale catalogues, exhibition catalogues, scholarly publications, conservation reports, insurance records, gallery labels, and previous expert opinions can all provide valuable evidence.

Can a Hans Holbein the Younger painting be authenticated from photographs?

Photographs can provide an important first assessment. High-resolution images allow us to study composition, facial modeling, costume, inscriptions, surface characteristics, condition, support, and other visible details remotely. A definitive attribution of a potentially important Holbein, however, may require examination of the original together with technical and scientific evidence

Is it always necessary to perform scientific analyses of a Hans Holbein the Younger?

No. Research, provenance investigation, comparative analysis, and direct examination normally come first. For a potentially important attribution, however, infrared reflectography, X-radiography, dendrochronology, microscopy, pigment analysis, and examination of the ground and paint layers can provide exceptionally important evidence.

Why is infrared reflectography important when examining a possible Holbein?

Infrared reflectography can reveal underdrawing beneath the painted surface. This may provide evidence concerning the artist’s working process, changes made during execution, transfer methods, and the relationship between a painting and preparatory drawings. Such information can be particularly valuable when distinguishing an original composition from a copy.

Why is dendrochronology useful for a Holbein painting?

Many Northern Renaissance paintings were executed on wooden panels. Dendrochronology can help establish information about the age of the timber and determine whether the support could plausibly have been available during Holbein’s lifetime. It cannot prove authorship by itself, but it can provide important chronological evidence.

What if my Hans Holbein the Younger has no provenance?

Incomplete provenance is not automatically disqualifying. For a work of this importance, however, reconstructing its ownership history can be particularly valuable. When documentary provenance is limited, greater weight must be placed on the support, materials, technique, underdrawing, technical imaging, condition, and comparison with securely attributed works.

Could my painting be a contemporary copy of a Holbein?

Yes. Holbein’s portraits were copied during and after his lifetime, and versions of compositions can survive with complicated relationships to lost or surviving originals. Establishing whether a painting is autograph, workshop-related, a contemporary copy, or a later reproduction requires careful technical and historical investigation.

Do you issue Certificates of Authenticity for Hans Holbein the Younger works?

Yes. When our investigation supports an attribution, we issue a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) together with a detailed and fully referenced Authentication Report.

APPRAISALS & VALUATIONS

How much is my Hans Holbein the Younger artwork worth?

We will appraise your work and determine its value. Attribution, identity of the sitter, medium, date, dimensions, condition, provenance, exhibition and publication history, historical importance, quality, and rarity can all materially affect value. The distinction between an autograph Holbein and a workshop, follower, or later copy can have an extraordinary effect on valuation.

SELLING

Can you sell my Hans Holbein the Younger for me?

Yes. We specialize in private sales but use every appropriate selling method to obtain the highest possible net price. For a potentially important Old Master work, authentication, scholarly positioning, provenance, presentation, and selection of the appropriate market are particularly important.

Do I need an appraisal before selling my Hans Holbein the Younger?

Yes. Your work should be priced correctly for the country, market, and method of sale. An independent appraisal helps prevent both underpricing and overpricing.

Do I need authentication before selling my Hans Holbein the Younger?

Yes. Without a credible attribution, a painting potentially connected with Holbein may be valued only as a work of his school, workshop, follower, or period. Establishing the strongest supportable attribution is therefore fundamental to determining its market position.

Can you help me maximize the selling price of my Hans Holbein the Younger?

Yes. Authentication, provenance, valuation, scholarly research, timing, presentation, and the chosen sales method can all influence the final result. We also provide collection management advice designed to maximize value.

Should I restore my Hans Holbein the Younger before selling it?

Usually not before obtaining specialist advice. Sixteenth-century paintings can contain fragile original surfaces and numerous campaigns of historic restoration. Cleaning or restoration undertaken prematurely can remove evidence relevant to attribution and condition. We recommend having the work evaluated before undertaking significant intervention.

How long does it take to sell a Hans Holbein the Younger?

A potentially major Old Master painting should not be rushed to market. Important works may require substantial research, authentication, conservation assessment, and preparation before being offered. Correct attribution, documentation, pricing, and market placement can have a major effect on the eventual result.

BUYING & ADVISORY

Should I buy a Hans Holbein the Younger?

If you appreciate Holbein’s work, certainly. If your primary objective is investment, we can evaluate the proposed acquisition, attribution, condition, provenance, scholarly history, market position, and alternative opportunities.

Can you review a Hans Holbein the Younger before I buy it?

Yes. We provide independent pre-purchase research and analysis for collectors and investors. We also prepare predictive art market forecasts and Buy-Hold-Sell recommendations.

What should I check before buying a Hans Holbein the Younger?

Three fundamental questions should always be answered: Is it authentic? What is its condition? Is the price reasonable? For Holbein, it is also essential to investigate the precise attribution, sitter identification, provenance, support, underdrawing, materials, restoration history, scholarly literature, and relationship to known portraits, drawings, and copies.

How can I avoid buying a fake Hans Holbein the Younger?

Call us before you buy. An independent review before completing the purchase is one of the simplest ways to reduce the risk of acquiring a forgery, later copy, incorrectly attributed portrait, or work whose documentation does not support the attribution being offered.

Can you advise me on building a collection?

Yes. We advise collectors on the financial aspects of acquisition, ownership, collection management, and eventual sale.

REQUEST A HANS HOLBEIN THE YOUNGER AUTHENTICATION OR APPRAISAL

Whether you require authentication, a Certificate of Authenticity, an appraisal, valuation, provenance research, buying advice, selling assistance, brokerage, or investment guidance regarding a work attributed to Hans Holbein the Younger, our specialists are available to assist.

Complete the contact form below or call us at +1 (212) 658-0466 to discuss your work with one of our experts.