Erasmus. Holbein's portraits played an important part in spreading the painter's reputation across Europe, as they and their copies were widely distributed.
When Holbein moved to England he had a letter of recommendation from Erasmus to Thomas More, in whose house he initially lived. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was a renowned humanist scholar and theologian.
He moved in 1521 to Basel, the city where Hans Holbein the Younger lived and had his workshop. Such was the fame of Erasmus, who corresponded with scholars throughout Europe, that he needed many portraits of himself to send abroad to his protectors; although not an admirer of painting, he understood the power of image.
Quentin Matsys painted a noticeably younger Erasmus, writing, in 1517, and used another profile portrait for a medal in 1519. Albrecht Dürer made a portrait in engraving in 1526.
But it was Holbein's images that were endlessly copied. Of the work Erasmus wrote in 1524, Recently I sent again two portraits of Erasmus to France, painted by a very skillful artist. The artist carried along my portrait to France. There are three main portrait types: a three-quarters view, probably of 1523, best-known from the National Gallery version; a profile view also from 1523, reading, as in the Louvre, and an older three-quarters view, perhaps c. 1530, probably best represented by the portrait miniature, a roundel 10cm across, in
When Holbein moved to England he had a letter of recommendation from Erasmus to Thomas More, in whose house he initially lived. Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam was a renowned humanist scholar and theologian.
He moved in 1521 to Basel, the city where Hans Holbein the Younger lived and had his workshop. Such was the fame of Erasmus, who corresponded with scholars throughout Europe, that he needed many portraits of himself to send abroad to his protectors; although not an admirer of painting, he understood the power of image.
Quentin Matsys painted a noticeably younger Erasmus, writing, in 1517, and used another profile portrait for a medal in 1519. Albrecht Dürer made a portrait in engraving in 1526.
But it was Holbein's images that were endlessly copied. Of the work Erasmus wrote in 1524, Recently I sent again two portraits of Erasmus to France, painted by a very skillful artist. The artist carried along my portrait to France. There are three main portrait types: a three-quarters view, probably of 1523, best-known from the National Gallery version; a profile view also from 1523, reading, as in the Louvre, and an older three-quarters view, perhaps c. 1530, probably best represented by the portrait miniature, a roundel 10cm across, in
Wikipedia ...