Dec 31 | '08 | New Holbein discovered?
Is the Portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam a New Holbein?
A New Holbein Discovered? The main aim of the symposium held in the Rotterdam Museum on 23 January was to remove the question marks revolving around the recent attribution of the Desiderius’ portrait to Hans Holbein the Younger. In the early 2008, the painting was presented as executed by an anonymous author at the exhibition “Images of Erasmus” in the Boijmans Van Beuningen museum, and it was sold to a private bidder while no one was able to realize its real value. The strenuous restoration works including cleansing and IRR revealed an underpainting of hands. The ensuing thorough research of the painting’s history resulted in the discovery of a heir of the given property, originating from the Dinteville family (the 1533 double portrait of Jean de Dinteville, entitled The Ambassadors, is a Holbein’s masterpiece held by the London National Gallery). It, however, remains unclear whether the portrait of Erasmus had ever been owned by Dinteville. Dr Stephan Kemperdick from the Berlin Gemäldegalerie is rather inclined to the view that the discussed work originates from a Holbein’s follower or his assistant. Lets thus hope that the January symposium enlightens and sums up the hitherto achieved knowledge.
