Holbein's later portraits of the merchants of the German Steelyard tend to be simpler; the mood one of restraint and quiet dignity. This tendency towards simplicity, and the elimination of all accessories, is characteristic of his late portraits. After 1535 the sitters are usually shown in the full light, focused against a background of blue or green, and very often in simple frontal poses. Holbein was, through a reduction of means, seeking a more abstract beauty of form. There is a quality of stillness and remoteness in the late portraits.

The change in Holbein's style may be clearly seen in the portrait of Sir Richard Southwell of 1536. In yet later portraits the sitter tends to become larger in relationship to the picture plane, as in the portrait of Antony the Good, Duke of Lorraine. We become more conscious of the part that the frame plays in relating the sitter to the picture plane; the panels are smaller, and there is an impression of increased concentration and precision. The Unknown Young Man at his Office Desk is a superb example.

Preview	Picture Data	Info
	Derick Berck of Cologne 1536 Oil on canvas transferred from panel, 53 x 41 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
	Sir Richard Southwell 1536 Oil on wood, 48 x 38 cm Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence
	Portrait of Simon George 1536-37 Oil on oak, diameter 31 cm Städelsches Kunstinstitut, Frankfurt
	Christina of Denmark, Ducchess of Milan 1538 Oil on oak, 179 x 83 cm National Gallery, London
	Christina of Denmark, Ducchess of Milan (detail) 1538 Oil on oak National Gallery, London
	Thomas Howard, Duke of Norfolk 1539-40 Tempera on wood, 80 x 62 cm Royal Collection, Windsor
	Lady Rich (Elizabeth Jenks) c. 1540 Oil and gold on oak panel, 45 x 34 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
	Lady Lee (Margaret Wyatt) 1542-43 Oil and gold on oak panel, 44 x 34 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
	Portrait of a Man Holding Gloves and Letter c. 1540 Oil on wood, 33 x 26 cm Kunstmuseum, Öffentliche Kunstsammlung, Basel
	De Vos van Steenwijk 1541 Oil on wood, 48 x 37 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Unknown Young Man at his Office Desk 1541 Oil on wood, 47 x 35 cm Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
	Portrait of Henry Howard, the Earl of Surrey 1541-43 Oil on wood, 56 x 44 cm Museu de Arte, São Paulo
	Portrait of Sir William Butts 1543 Oil on wood, 47 x 37 cm Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
	Portrait of Lady Margaret Butts 1543 Oil on wood, 46 x 37 cm Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Boston
	Portrait of John Chambers 1543 Oil on oak, 58 x 40 cm Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna
	Portrait of Duke Antony the Good of Lorraine c. 1543 Oil on oak, 51 x 37 cm Staatliche Museen, Berlin
	Portrait of a Young Woman 1540-45 Oil and gold on oak panel, 28 x 23 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
	Edward, Prince of Wales c. 1545 Oil and gold on oak panel, 28 x 23 cm Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York