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Hans Holbein: Giese, the rich merchant

Silke Wünsch ct
June 17, 2019

Painter Hans Holbein created a portrait of wealthy merchant Giese at the beginning of the 16th century. But this is not your average painting: The depiction of the subject is rich in its symbolism of wealth.

https://p.dw.com/p/3KDmA

In a portrait by Hans Holbein made in 1532, merchant Georg Giese of Gdansk sits in the middle of the painting, surrounded by his wealth. In his hands, a business letter; in front of him, a fine carpet, a Venetian glass vase and a technical masterpiece, a small table clock. All this must have cost a fortune back then. 

The painting by Hans Holbein the Younger hangs in the Gemäldegalerie in Berlin. Right next door, at the Museum of Decorative Arts, you can see some of the things depicted in the portrait on display in showcases. There are carpets with the same pattern as Holbein painted them — so precisely that carpets of this kind are still called "Holbein carpets" today.

Click here to see more videos from "Berlin's Treasure Trove – The Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation."