degree . He also began to make his subjects fill most of the painting, instead of putting a background. In Sir Thomas More, the subject's figure dominates the portrait. There is nothing in the background except a green drapery and a rope. No objects are displayed besides the chain and a piece of paper, these only adding to the character instead of distracting from it. Even with only Sir More and his few accessories, Holbein was still able to give the impression of More's real life. His gaze is neither intense nor dazed, but more indifferent. Still, we can see that this man was important, dignified, and scholarly. In actuality, Sir More was a humanist scholar, author, and statesman . This is easily understandable considering the thoughtful and slightly weary look on his face, his fine dress, and the chain as evidence. Partly because of Holbein's ability to portray his subject's character without using objects to tell the story, Holbein's reputation proclaimed him to be a master of portrait painting. This is also based on his success in realistically portraying individuals. Holbein was not particularly interested in idealizing the subject, indifferent to ideas of conventional beauty. He did not put Sir More in an unrealistic pose or try to give him a more elegant look. He simply painted exactly what he saw, leaving the world with an amazing piece of artwork and an incredible standard of skill to compete with. As magnificent as Holbein's Sir Thomas More is, it is not the only exceptional piece of artwork to impress viewers all over the world. Guercino's Sampson Captured by the Philistines, painted in 1619, is also a splendid work in its own ways. Just as Holbein's work, it represents the situation of Europe at the time and accurately exemplifies the nature of art during its period, the Baroque. The Baroque period was full of artwork aimed "to engage the viewer both physically and emotionally. " It arose from the Catholic Counter Reformatio...
