Georg Giese

Georg Giese, also Gisze, (* April 2, 1497 in Gdansk, † February 3, 1562 in Gdańsk ) was a merchant who, worked for the Cologne Hansa office from the year 1522 in the London Hanse- office, called the Steelyard.

His family, which included the Kulm and later Bishop Tiedemann Giese Warmia, a friend of Nicholas Copernicus and Albrecht Giese, was originally from Unna and was with him in the fourth generation in Gdansk resident.

The Portrait of Hans Holbein the Younger

The painter Hans Holbein the Younger, who was engaged at that time in London, Georg Gisze portrayed in 1532 on a painting that Gisze had probably given themselves in order and this shows in elaborate clothes and surrounded by allegorical -to-understand articles in his office. The attributes (letters, account books, scale, seal, etc.) allow the viewer to recognize what it represents is a merchant. The image also shows the oldest representation of a body portable pocket ( tin watch ).

The portrait shows the Hanseatic League merchant Georg Gisze, who came from a successful family of Danzig merchants, at the age of 34 years. A little later came Gisze back to Gdansk, where he was to marry in 1535 the respected citizens daughter Christine Krüger. This assumption is the carnation, which is considered Verlöbnissymbol in early modern painting, with the flower in the foreground of the image before Giese's right arm. In addition, there are still rosemary and gold lacquer, where healing and invigorating effect was attributed.

The identification Giszes is secured by a Latin inscription at the top of the screen ( above his head ): "What you see here, pointing to the portrait of George trains or images; so alive is his eye, shaped his cheeks. In his thirty-fourth year of our Lord 1532. " The written on Middle Low German letter that George Gisze holds in hands, is also easy to read: " The Erszamen / Jorgen Gisze to Lundene engelant mynem / broder to exist ".

Hans Holbein the Younger has created this portrait of the most important businessman portrait in German painting, which enjoyed enormous reception until the 20th century. The image demonstrates the extensive painting skills Holbein impressive and represents a high point in the portrait painting represents the representation of different material elements (glass, plants, clothing, carpet, etc.) succeed the painter, who has worked for King Henry VIII of England at this time on the lightest. This is the "Portrait of George Gisze " one of the major works of Holbein the Younger, as well as an important masterpiece of the Renaissance north of the Alps.

Typological Holbein probably linked to two traditions: first, to Italian representations of St.. Jerome in his equipped with books and other attributes study. On the other hand, he continues tradition of Flemish painting from 1500, which has been supposed to think especially of Quentin Massys and his depictions of money changers or Goldwägern.

In addition to the "Portrait of George Gisze " Holbein has portrayed some other Hanseatic merchants, who also worked on the London Steelyard. This can - although they are very good portraits - not compete with the Georg Giszes because they are much small-sized and worked a lot less rich and, for example hardly show any attributes. In this respect, the "Portrait of George Gisze " comes a special status and the thesis frequently expressed in science, if it were this to be a series of so-called Steelyard portraits, must be addressed due to the inhomogeneity of the portraits at least with strong reservations.

Reception

The HHL used - with interruptions - since 1923, Signet, which is a slightly stylized rendition of the portrait of the merchant Georg Gisze by Hans Holbein the Younger from the year 1532.