Saint Helena

This delicate drawing of Saint Helena, washed and heightened with brush and ink, belongs to a group of figure studies on paper grounded in various colours. The works were created by the workshop and close circle of Hans Holbein the Elder. The saints are depicted individually or arranged in pairs, often standing on concave platforms against a plain backdrop. The core group is made up of five drawings. In addition to the one found in the Beckerath Collection, this group consists of the drawing of Saint Margaret and Dorothy on light-brown-grounded paper (held in London), and three works bearing Holbein’s H monogram: one featuring the Princes of the Apostles, Peter and Paul; a drawing of the Mother of God; and another depicting Christ as Saviour (held in Vienna).