Portrait of a Man, Said to Be Arnold Franz

The artwork, Portrait of a Man, Said to Be Arnold Franz by Hans Holbein the Younger, is an intriguing example of early modern portraiture executed on vellum laid on card. While the work is attributed to the Younger, the dating of the piece to the extended period of 1600-1729 places its execution long after the celebrated artist’s death in 1543. This strongly suggests that the work is not an autograph piece but rather a highly skillful later copy, executed by a follower or student working in the distinctive Holbein style. The Metropolitan Museum of Art classifies this piece as "Other," highlighting the complex provenance and dating difficulties inherent in the work’s documentation.

The composition focuses squarely on the subject, an unknown man tentatively identified as Arnold Franz. The subject is presented with a direct and formal gaze, indicative of the objective naturalism popularized in sixteenth-century men's portraits. The fine technique employed on the vellum substrate allows for the meticulous rendering of the facial features and the detail afforded to the man's dark clothing. This adherence to exacting standards is characteristic of the artistic legacy left by Holbein.

This exquisite historical portrait is currently preserved within the permanent collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The careful precision found in this copy of Portrait of a Man, Said to Be Arnold Franz underscores the enduring influence of the Younger's style on subsequent generations of artists. Like many masterworks of this period, the image, which helps document the history of portraits, is now frequently made available through public domain initiatives, allowing art historians and enthusiasts worldwide to study high-quality prints derived from this striking work.