Erasmus of Rotterdam

Desiderius Erasmus (1465-1536), a Dutch humanist and scholar, held significant clout in the political and intellectual arenas of sixteenth-century Europe. It was through Erasmus' acquaintance that the German artist Hans Holbein the Younger gained entrance into important artistic circles in England. One of several portraits of Erasmus completed by Holbein, this print shows Erasmus standing under an ornately decorated arch, accompanied by the Roman god of borders, Terminus. Erasmus used this god, represented here as a bust on a boundary stone, as a personal emblem. Terminus' menacing gaze, Erasmus' dignified stance, and the intricate decorations that surround the arch all function as visual signifiers of Erasmus' importance and power, as well as of Holbein's esteem for the scholar.