Hans Holbein the Elder

9.5

A German painter of the late 1400s and early 1500s known for religious paintings and father of another famous painter

proper noun

: Hans Holbein el Viejo

The religious altarpieces created by Hans Holbein the Elder are displayed in several European museums.

Examples

Hans Holbein the Elder was also the father of Hans Holbein the Younger, another influential artist.
Many art historians regard Hans Holbein the Elder as a master of German Renaissance painting.
The renowned artist Hans Holbein the Elder created many religious paintings.
Did Hans Holbein the Elder influence his son's work?
Hans Holbein the Elder was a prominent German painter known for his compelling religious images.
Many art experts describe Hans Holbein the Elder as a pivotal figure in German Renaissance art.
The religious works of Hans Holbein the Elder are celebrated in numerous art galleries across Europe.

Synonyms

Holbein the Elder

vsHans Holbein the Elder

9.9

A German painter of religious pictures and father of Hans Holbein the Younger

has identical meaning but uses a shorter name form

Surface Forms

Hans Holbein the Elder main

Morphology

Hans + Holbein + the + elder

The phrase is a compositional proper-name plus epithet: a learner who knows 'the' and 'elder' can infer this refers to an older person named Hans Holbein (i.e., the elder member of that family). While biographical details like dates or that he was a German painter are not derivable from the words alone, the basic referential meaning (an older individual with that name) is transparently recoverable from the constituents.

Etymology

Hans Holbein the Elder was called this to tell him apart from his son Hans Holbein the Younger. Here the Elder means 'the older one', so the name shows he was the father and refers to the German painter known for religious pictures.