Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam

About this work

This engraving shows a man in a dark robe and hat, leaning over a desk. He’s holding an open book and pointing at it with one hand, while his other hand rests on a small box. Behind him, a framed portrait hangs on the wall, and a vase with flowers sits on the desk. The scene looks like a quiet study, with papers and a few objects scattered around. The text above the man’s head is in Latin and includes the year 1526. This suggests the image was made as a portrait of a well-known thinker. Look up Renaissance to see how this style shaped art and ideas.