Hans Holbein the Younger, 'Erasmus', 1523

This painting shows Desiderius Erasmus, a famous Dutch writer and thinker. Erasmus was a key figure in the humanist movement of the Renaissance. Holbein painted this work in 1523 in Basel, a major centre of learning, where he and the ageing scholar lived at the time. The following year, Erasmus sent the portrait to England. It was a gift for William Warham, the Archbishop of Canterbury. Warham had supported Erasmus during his time in England and could have been a useful contact for Holbein, who moved there in 1526.

Holbein often used preparatory drawings for his paintings. He did not always work directly from life. Studies for the hands in this portrait exist on a single sheet of paper, which includes sketches for another Erasmus painting from about 1528 (Musée du Louvre, Paris). Holbein may have made these drawings during one sitting with Erasmus.

This painting’s composition became a model for many of Holbein’s later portraits. It shows Erasmus from the waist up, at a slight angle. Strong light comes from the left. Erasmus leans gently on a stone window sill. His hands rest on a red leather-bound book. The green ribbons are untied, hinting that he has just closed the book. He wears a black hat and fur-lined coat. These frame his face and draw our eyes to his expression. His mouth curves slightly upwards. His cheeks show the start of a smile. Yet his overall look is serious. His face appears almost skull-like. His heavy-lidded eyes suggest tiredness. His strong jawline hints at determination. These details reveal the scholar’s hard work despite his failing health.

Holbein painted Erasmus’s room in great detail. However, the space does not follow the rules of perspective. The wall seems to crack under the stone shelf’s bracket. The curtain rail runs at an odd angle. The painter is not trying to show a real study. Instead, the space shows symbols that highlight Erasmus’s interests and achievements. The squared columns, called pilasters, come from ancient architecture books. They point to Erasmus’s interest in classical texts. The green curtain recalls images of Saint Mark, the author of one of the four Gospels. The flask and books appear in many pictures of Saint Jerome, who translated the Christian Bible into Latin. These details stress Erasmus’s fame as a Christian scholar.

Two inscriptions in the painting praise both the artist and sitter. On a shelf at the top right, one book bears a Latin inscription. In English, it reads, ‘Hans Holbein. No one will be my imitator as easily as they will be my detractor.’ This shows Holbein’s pride in his skill as an immigrant artist in the highly competitive English art market. The second inscription, partly in Greek, runs around the fore-edges of the book on the window sill. It means, ‘The Labours of Hercules of Erasmus of Rotterdam’. This clever wording compares Erasmus’s many writings to Hercules’ legendary Twelve Labours. It suggests the great effort Erasmus put into his work. Holbein has created a portrait that captures more than Erasmus’s looks. It shows his character, intellect and importance as a leading thinker of his time.