I knew that there were suggestions that Holbein had used some form of optical assistant for his drawings & paintings but I wasn’t aware that there was clear evidence. Yet, whilst watching the latest (?) episode of Civilisation a close up was shown of a drawing Holbein made of Thomas Moore. Here you can clearly see a series of dots that form the outline of the features of Moore. Holbein appears to have used these as a guide to help him make a likeness of Moore. This was followed by a series of other drawings which showed the same thing. Undoubtedly nothing new to the world but new to me.

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