Skip to main content

Hans Holbein the Younger, 'Erasmus', 1523

About the work

Erasmus (1466/9 - 1536) was one of the most famous writers of his day and one of the most admired humanist scholars. In this portrait the artist has tried to surround the sitter with items which reflect his interests and profession. This idea was developed further in Holbein's 'The Ambassadors'. A Latin couplet on the book on the back shelf, perhaps by Erasmus himself, praises Holbein's skill: 'I am Johannes (i.e. Hans) Holbein, whom it is easier to denigrate than to emulate.'

This painting is not available for reproduction

Key facts

Full title
Erasmus
Artist
Hans Holbein the Younger
Artist dates
1497/8 - 1543
Date made
1523
Medium and support
Oil on wood
Dimensions
73.6 × 51.4 cm
Inscription summary
Dated
Acquisition credit
On loan from Longford Castle collection
Inventory number
L658
Location
Not on display
Image copyright
On loan from Longford Castle collection, © Longford Castle Collection
Collection
Main Collection

About this record

If you know more about this painting or have spotted an error, please contact us. Please note that exhibition histories are listed from 2009 onwards. Bibliographies may not be complete; more comprehensive information is available in the National Gallery Library.

More works by Hans Holbein the Younger

A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (Anne Lovell?)
A Lady with a Squirrel and a Starling (Anne Lovell?)
Hans Holbein the Younger
A solemn woman wearing a soft cap of dense white fur sits with a red squirrel in her lap and a glossy-feathered starling at her shoulder. Common pets in the fifteenth-century, these animals also have a symbolic meaning and serve as clues to the sitter’s identity. She is thought to be Anne Lovell,...
Not on display
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan
Christina of Denmark, Duchess of Milan
Hans Holbein the Younger
This elegant young woman is Christina of Denmark, the youngest daughter of King Christian of Denmark. In 1538, King Henry VIII of England was looking for a fourth wife, after the death of Jane Seymour the previous year. As Henry’s official court artist, Holbein was sent to Brussels to capture the...
Not on display
The Ambassadors
The Ambassadors
Hans Holbein the Younger
Jean de Dinteville, the man on the left, is shown on his second diplomatic mission to England on behalf of Francis I, King of France. To the right is his close friend, Georges de Selve, Bishop of Lavaur. This portrait was painted at a time of religious upheaval in Europe. Although the pope had re...
Not on display