Hans Bock the Elder
German, 1550 - 1624
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Hans Bock was a 16th Century German painter and draughtsman. He flourished at Basel where he executed several large frescoes, which won him much fame.. He is described as an "extraordinarily talented artist", the "symbol for his entire epoch" and the "leading painter and draftsman" in his period of German art.
Bock is likely to have been working in Basel as early as 1570; in 1572 he paid for membership to the local guild of painters. He was awarded citizenship to Basel on the 18th of July, 1572. He is likely to have educated the young Joseph Heintz in draughtsmanship. From 1588 to 1591, he cooperated with the scholar Basilius Amerbach in the excavation of the Roman theater Augusta Raurica, providing illustrations of the newly excavated site.
Bock had five children; Emanuel Bock the Elder, Felix Bock, Hans Bock the Younger, Niklaus Bock and Peter Bock.