Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam Writing 1523

"Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam Writing" is a 1523 painting by Hans Holbein the Younger. The oil-on-panel painting depicts the humanist scholar Erasmus of Rotterdam in profile, lost in concentration as he writes in a book. The painting is a testament to Holbein's skill in capturing likeness and detail, evident in the meticulously rendered features of Erasmus and his writing implements. This intimate portrait reflects the intellectual currents of the Northern Renaissance, celebrating the humanist pursuit of knowledge and scholarship.