BEHAM, BARTHEL

(1502-1540)

   German painter and engraver trained by Albrecht Dürer. A native of Nuremberg, Barthel Beham and his older brother Sebald, also an artist, were expelled from the city in 1525 for their anarchistic and heretic inclinations. In 1527, Beham went to Munich and, three years later, he entered into the service of Duke William IV of Bavaria. Beham is believed to have died during a journey to Italy in 1540. While his engravings closely adhere to Dürer's style, his portraits, on the other hand, are tied to the Italian Mannerist aloof types rendered by Bronzino. They also betray the influence of Hans Holbein the Younger in their clarity and emphasis on detail. His portraits LudwigXof Bavaria (1537-1538; Vienna, Liechtenstein Museum) and Ottheinrich, Prince of Pfalz (1535; Munich, Alte Pinakothek) are examples of his Italianate approach.