Artwork Page for Terminus, the Device of Erasmus

Details / Information for Terminus, the Device of Erasmus

Terminus, the Device of Erasmus

c. 1532

Hans Holbein the Younger

(German, active England and Switzerland, 1497/98–1543)
Culture
Germany
Medium
oil on wood
Measurements
Framed: 32.4 x 32.4 x 4.5 cm (12 3/4 x 12 3/4 x 1 3/4 in.); Unframed: 21.6 x 21.6 cm (8 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Sherman E. Lee in memory of Milton S. Fox 1971.166
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
114 Late Northern Renaissance
Print
?

Did You Know?

Tree ring analysis helped determine the date of this painting.

Description

In the spirit of the Italian Renaissance, Erasmus of Rotterdam (c. 1466–1536), the celebrated Dutch humanist and scholar, embraced ancient Greek and Roman literature and incorporated much of its moral and ethical messages into his own work. Holbein here conflates Erasmus’s features with Terminus, the Roman god of boundaries, who defied Jupiter by maintaining his position atop Capitoline Hill. Erasmus adopted Terminus, along with the motto concedo nulli (I concede to no one), as a personal symbol for devotion and steadfastness.
Square oil painting depicting an armless, sculpture-like man from the waist up, looking to our right with a muted yellow disc at the back of his head. He has a muscular torso and short hair blowing to the right, all a beige-grey color. His torso transitions to a rectangular base on which "TERMINUS" is written. In white against the dark background the faded lettering of "CONCEDO" appears to his right shoulder and "NVLLI" his left.

Terminus, the Device of Erasmus

c. 1532

Hans Holbein the Younger

(German, active England and Switzerland, 1497/98–1543)
Germany

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

    Contact Us

    The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.

    To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

    All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.