Hans Holbein, the Younger (1497-1543) : Not to be confused with Hans Holbein, the Elder. The best Renaissance portraitist. He had a skill for vivid color and a beautifully stylized way of painting faces. Often informed the character of his subjects by the objects surronding them - in one portrait, he even painted a strange blob that becomes a skull when viewed at an extreme angle (a technique not seen next until the 20th century).