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Primary sourcePainting1532

Round Portrait of Erasmus

Hans Holbein the Younger · 1532

A small round painted portrait of the aging scholar Erasmus, made in his final years by the artist Hans Holbein the Younger.

This portrait, painted near the end of Erasmus's life, shows how his image as a scholar was recorded for history.

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A small round painted portrait in a gilded, cracked wooden frame with a black outer rim. It shows an elderly man in profile facing left, wearing a black cap and dark fur-trimmed robe, against a dark teal background.
Hans Holbein the Younger, Roundel Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, 1532. Kunstmuseum Basel.

About this source

What it is

This is a small, round painted portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam, made by Hans Holbein the Younger in 1532. It shows Erasmus in old age, in profile, wearing a black cap and fur-trimmed robe. The painting is held today at the Kunstmuseum Basel.

Why it matters

Holbein painted several portraits of Erasmus across his career, and this late roundel captures the scholar near the end of his life. It shows how closely artist and subject were connected, and how images of famous thinkers were created and preserved for later generations to remember them by.

Look closer

  • Why might Holbein have chosen a round format and a profile pose for this portrait?
  • What does the dark background and plain clothing suggest about how Erasmus wanted to be seen?
  • What does this portrait leave out about Erasmus's life and ideas?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Desiderius Erasmus on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Erasmus

Hans Holbein the Younger · 1523

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