HOLBEIN, Hans the Younger
(b. 1497, Augsburg, d. 1543, London)

Portrait of the Merchant Georg Gisze (detail)

1532
Oil on wood
Staatliche Museen, Berlin

Besides utilitarian articles such as the seal, the office of merchant Georg Gisze is notable for such sumptuous items as an Anatolian carpet that covers the table, a yellow case clock, and a slender crystal vase made of Venetian glass, through which the gleaming pink silk of Gisze's sleeve is visible. The plants in the bouquet may allude to various things: carnations and rosemary, for example, traditionally symbolize love and fidelity respectively.