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Erasmus of Rotterdam

A work made of woodcut on ivory laid paper.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of woodcut on ivory laid paper.

Date:

1520/25

Artist:

Hans Holbein, the younger
German, 1497-1543

About this artwork

Hans Holbein was the court painter of Henry VIII and probably executed the drawing for this allegorical woodcut of the humanist Desiderius Erasmus while the scholar lived in England. Set within a classicizing trellis, with antique sculptures rather than books, it refers to the writer’s passion for antiquity. Another portrait of Erasmus on display in this gallery, by Albrecht Dürer, was supposedly made from life, but it is equally formal and removed from the sitter. Erasmus wears a similar scholar’s cap and richly textured robe in both images, a habit denoting his profession and wealth.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Prints and Drawings

Artist

Hans Holbein, the younger

Title

Erasmus of Rotterdam

Place

Germany (Artist's nationality:)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Artist's working dates 1517–1543

Medium

Woodcut on ivory laid paper

Dimensions

28.5 × 15.4 cm (11 1/4 × 6 1/8 in.)

Credit Line

The Stickney Collection

Reference Number

1935.167

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/21465/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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