Claim profile
1500–1599

The 16th century

Whose working lives fell in the 16th century. Books are measured from 1800 and readers from 2015, so for this period we can say who lived then, not who was talked about then.

Lived then

The most notable people whose working lives fell in the 16th century, ranked where Wikipedia coverage and readership agree.

CountryAll🇪🇸 Spain🇫🇷 France🇯🇵 Japan🇩🇪 Germany🇮🇹 Italy🇹🇷 Turkey🇬🇧 United Kingdom🇸🇪 Sweden🇨🇭 Switzerland🇮🇳 India
FieldAllHistorical FiguresWritersPoliticiansArtistsAcademicsReligious FiguresMusiciansScientistsModelsActors
  1. 1Albrecht DürerAlbrecht Dürer1471–1528 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists22 decades
  2. 2Hans Holbein the YoungerHans Holbein the Younger1497–1543 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists18 decades
  3. 3Lucas Cranach the ElderLucas Cranach the Elder1472–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists6 decades
  4. 4Matthias GrünewaldMatthias Grünewald1480–1528 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists1 decades
  5. 5Hans BaldungHans Baldung1480–1545 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists20 decades
  6. 6Albrecht AltdorferAlbrecht Altdorfer1480–1538 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists19 decades
  7. 7Hans Holbein the ElderHans Holbein the Elder1465–1524 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists5 decades
  8. 8Hans Burgkmair the ElderHans Burgkmair the Elder1473–1531 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  9. 9Jost AmmanJost Amman1539–1591 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists5 decades
  10. 10Hans Sebald BehamHans Sebald Beham1500–1550 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists19 decades
  11. 11Cesare da SestoCesare da Sesto1477–1523 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists4 decades
  12. 12Barthel BehamBarthel Beham1502–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists14 decades
  13. 13Heinrich AldegreverHeinrich Aldegrever1502–1558 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists14 decades
  14. 14DHDaniel Hopfer1470–1536 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists12 decades
  15. 15Bartholomaeus Bruyn the ElderBartholomaeus Bruyn the Elder1493–1555 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  16. 16Georg PenczGeorg Pencz1500–1550 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists16 decades
  17. 17Hans von KulmbachHans von Kulmbach1476–1522 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists16 decades
  18. 18Hans Dürer the YoungerHans Dürer the Younger1490–1534 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  19. 19Christoph AmbergerChristoph Amberger1505–1562 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists14 decades
  20. 20Jörg Breu the ElderJörg Breu the Elder1475–1537 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  21. 21Hans RottenhammerHans Rottenhammer1564–1625 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  22. 22Hans CranachHans Cranach1513–1537 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists3 decades
  23. 23Simon VI, Count of LippeSimon VI, Count of Lippe1554–1613 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists10 decades
  24. 24Hans Leonhard SchäufeleinHans Leonhard Schäufelein1480–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists1 decades
  25. 25Hans MuelichHans Muelich1516–1573 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists10 decades
  26. 26JRJerg Ratgeb1480–1526 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists1 decades
  27. 27Augustin HirschvogelAugustin Hirschvogel1503–1553 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists16 decades
  28. 28Master of the Life of the VirginMaster of the Life of the Virgin1500–1500 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists12 decades
  29. 29Hans Maler zu SchwazHans Maler zu Schwaz1480–1520 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  30. 30Gregor ErhartGregor Erhart1465–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists9 decades
  31. 31Conrat MeitConrat Meit1480–1551 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists1 decades
  32. 32Peter FlötnerPeter Flötner1485–1546 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists14 decades
  33. 33Christoph Weiditz the ElderChristoph Weiditz the Elder1498–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  34. 34Hans KrellHans Krell1490–1565 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  35. 35Hans HoffmannHans Hoffmann1530–1591 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists14 decades
  36. 36Jacob BinckJacob Binck1500–1569 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  37. 37Hans WeiditzHans Weiditz1495–1536 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists11 decades
  38. 38Wendel DietterlinWendel Dietterlin1550–1599 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists4 decades
  39. 39Erhard SchönErhard Schön1491–1542 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists12 decades
  40. 40Friedrich SustrisFriedrich Sustris1540–1599 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists11 decades
  41. 41Hans BrüggemannHans Brüggemann1480–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  42. 42Ludger Tom Ring the YoungerLudger Tom Ring the Younger1522–1584 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  43. 43Leonhard BeckLeonhard Beck1480–1542 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  44. 44Master of the Aachen AltarMaster of the Aachen Altar1500–1600 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  45. 45Rueland Frueauf the YoungerRueland Frueauf the Younger1470–1545 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists0 decades
  46. 46MSMartin Schaffner1478–1548 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists17 decades
  47. 47Christoph SchwarzChristoph Schwarz1545–1592 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artists2 decades
  48. 48Hans WertingerHans Wertinger1465–1533 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  49. 49Hans LützelburgerHans Lützelburger1495–1526 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  50. 50Master of the Schotten AltarpieceMaster of the Schotten Altarpiece1500–1501 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  51. 51Hans BackoffenHans Backoffen1500–1519 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  52. 52Hans LeinbergerHans Leinberger1480–1531 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  53. 53Erhard AltdorferErhard Altdorfer1480–1561 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  54. 54Anton EisenhoitAnton Eisenhoit1553–1603 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  55. 55WTWolf Traut1478–1520 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  56. 56Matthäus GreuterMatthäus Greuter1564–1638 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  57. 57Augustin CranachAugustin Cranach1554–1595 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  58. 58Anton WoensamAnton Woensam1493–1541 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  59. 59Hans Bocksberger the ElderHans Bocksberger the Elder1510–1561 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  60. 60Michael OstendorferMichael Ostendorfer1490–1559 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  61. 61Hans WechtlinHans Wechtlin1480–1526 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  62. 62Ludger tom Ring the ElderLudger tom Ring the Elder1496–1547 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  63. 63BDBartlmä Dill Riemenschneider1500–1550 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  64. 64Sigmund HolbeinSigmund Holbein1470–1540 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  65. 65Barthel Bruyn the YoungerBarthel Bruyn the Younger1530–1607 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  66. 66Hans Sebald LautensackHans Sebald Lautensack1524–1565 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  67. 67BDBenedikt Dreyer1495–1555 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  68. 68Hans DöringHans Döring1490–1558 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—
  69. 69Master of Saint SeverinMaster of Saint Severin1500–1600 · 🇩🇪 Germany · Artistsnot measured—

How this is measured

  • Placing people in time. Each person belongs to the century in which they were most active — around age 35, and never after their death.
  • Who ranks highest. Within a century, people are ranked where two independent signals agree: how many of the world’s Wikipedia language editions cover them, and how many people actually read about them. Article counts alone can be lifted by a person’s own circle; readers cannot.
  • Fame in print. The curves count how often a name appears in Google Books from 1800 to 2019, as a share of all the words printed each year, in the person’s own language wherever that corpus exists. Those decades are over, so each measurement is made once and kept.
  • What is left out. A lifetime is measured only from 1820, when there is enough print to judge; the five years after a death are skipped as obituaries; and a name shared with someone equally notable is credited to neither.