Holbein the Elder
- proper noun
- Many altarpieces were painted by Holbein the Elder in the late 15th century.
Examples
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The museum's collection features several works attributed to Holbein the Elder.
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Few artists influenced the German Renaissance as greatly as Holbein the Elder.
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The works of Holbein the Elder are celebrated for their intricate details.
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Did Holbein the Elder influence later artists?
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Few artists influenced the German Renaissance as greatly as Holbein the Elder.
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Many altarpieces were painted by Holbein the Elder in the late 15th century.
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The museum's collection features several works attributed to Holbein the Elder.
Synonyms
A German painter of the late 1400s and early 1500s known for religious paintings and father of another famous painter
Surface Forms
Morphology
Holbein + the + elder
The element 'the Elder' after a surname transparently signals an older person with that name, so a B1 learner who knows 'the' and 'elder' could infer it refers to an older Holbein (i.e., the father). However, the specific biographical information (that he is a German painter and father of Hans Holbein the Younger) cannot be derived from the constituents alone, so the phrase is only partially predictable.
Etymology
Holbein the Elder is the name people used to tell this artist apart from his son, who was also a painter. Calling him the Elder shows he is the 'father' and that his paintings came earlier than those of his son.
