Henri Lefort’s etching, “Érasme”, c1879, after Holbein

Henri Lefort (aka Henri Émile Lefort) (1852–1916)

“Érasme”, c1879, illustration to Paul Mantz’s (1821–1895) “Hans Holbein” (insert between pages 60 and 61, published in 1879 in Paris by the Société Française d'éditions d'Art, printed by Albert Quantin (aka Albert Marie Jérôme Quantin; Ancienne Maison Quantin) (1850–1930), after the painting by Hans Holbein the Younger (1497/8–1543), “Portrait of Erasmus”, 1523, in the collection of the Musée du Louvre, Paris (https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Hans_Holbein_d._J._-_Erasmus_-_Louvre.jpg).

Archive.org offers an online view of the publication in which this etching features: see https://archive.org/details/gri_33125001460142/page/n128/mode/2up.

Mantz (1879) in the footnote to page 60 in this publication, proposes that Holbein made a silverpoint and chalk study from direct observation of Erasmus’ hands. What is shamefully interesting for me, is that Erasmus—arguably one of the greatest scholars of the northern Renaissance—had what all great thinkers have (in translation) “slightly bitten nails.”

Etching printed in a warm black ink on cream laid paper with full margins as published.

Size: (sheet) 41.8 x 29 cm; (plate) 25.4 x 21.6 cm; (image borderline) 21 x 17.2 cm.

Lettered in plate below the image borderline: (left) “H LEFORT d'après HOLBEIN”; (right) “Imp. A. Quantin”.

Condition: a richly inked and well-printed (faultless) impression in pristine condition (i.e., there are no tears, holes, folds, losses, abrasions, stains, foxing or signs of use) with generously wide margins as published.

I am selling this exceptionally fine etching of Holbein’s famous portrait of the Dutch philosopher and Catholic theologian, Erasmus (aka Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus), for AU$207 in total (currently US$149.82/EUR132.60/GBP111.47 at the time of posting this listing) including postage and handling to anywhere in the world (but not, of course, any import duties/taxes imposed by some countries).

If you are interested in purchasing this superb, museum quality impression of a seldom seen etching on the art market, please contact me (oz_jim@printsandprinciples.com) and I will send you a PayPal invoice to make the payment easy.

This print has been sold