Artist: Hans Holbein the Younger (German-Swiss 1497/8 - 1543) was a German-Swiss painter and printmaker who worked in a Northern Renaissance style and is considered one of the greatest portraitists of the 16th century.
Engraver: Wenceslaus Hollar (1607 - 1677) was a prolific and accomplished Bohemian graphic artist of the 17th century who spent much of his life in England. He is particularly noted for his engravings and etchings.
Title: Portrait of Lady Margaret Butts (c.1485-1545), married the physician Sir William Butts. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Princess Mary.
Signed, Numbered, and Dated: Lettered below image 'HHolbein inu: / WHollar fecit 1649, / Adam Alexius Bierling exc:' and numbered '7' in the lower right corner.
Dimensions: 5 1/2" X 3 3/4".
Publisher: Adam Alexius Bierling (1625-1675) Draughtsman and art dealer, active in Antwerp in the mid-17th century; Wenceslaus Hollar engraved prints after his designs; Bierling also published many prints by W. Hollar.
Date: 1649.
Materials and Techniques: etching on laid paper.
Mat and Frame: Matted (removable).
Provenance: The Estate of George "Yorgo" Demetrakopoulos; professor, assistant director of the Medieval Institute, and assistant to the dean at Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo, Michigan, from 1965-2000.
Condition: Trimmed margins. Old hinges verso. The signs of aging are appropriate for the time. A detailed condition report is available on demand.
Catalog Raisonne: Catalogue of engraved British portraits preserved in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum /
by Freeman O'Donoghue. London: Printed by order of the Trustees, 1908-25. p. 310.
Museums and Libraries: The British Museum 1875,0710.721.
Art Movements, Periods & Schools: British School XVII C. Bohemian School XVII C.
German School XVII C.
Note: This entry incorporates text from Wikipedia and the catalog entry of the same item from The British Museum collection.