Portrait of Desiderius Erasmus | Massijs, Quinten (I)

This painting of Desiderius Erasmus captures the character of the Dutch humanist writer and demonstrates the strong humanist presence in the Low Countries. Erasmus situated himself in a central position in the intellectual world of the Renaissance. Merry Wiesner-Hanks declares outright that Erasmus was “the most famous scholar of his time in all of Europe” (Wiesner-Hanks 141). Erasmus fashioned a distinct image for himself through his writings and even through paintings such as this one. St. Jerome served as the inspiration for these depictions of Erasmus (Jardine 4), which shows how Erasmus wanted to be viewed in his time: as a scholarly man and prolific writer concerned with theology and spirituality.

In connection to this inspiration from St. Jerome, Erasmus was a Christian humanist thinker. He translated and compiled many religious works, including a translation of the New Testament into Latin, and wrote many other works and letters that addressed his ideas on Christian living. Erasmus placed a higher value in the spiritual individual and connection to the Gospels over physical representations of holiness such as relics. He also constructed a circle of other Christian humanist thinkers such as Thomas More, Juan Luis Vives, and Lèfevre d’Etaples, with whom he communicated and debated through numerous letters (Wiesner-Hanks 141). This strain of humanist thought focused on religious reform can be seen as a precursor to later Protestant and Catholic reform movements (Wiesner-Hanks 143).

A key location in Erasmus's life was Louvain, a city in the Low Countries. The scholars located in Louvain criticized many of the Christian humanist ideas espoused by Erasmus. Historian Erika Rummel relates that Erasmus eventually moved to Louvain partly in order to "keep his critics in check" (Rummel 3). Erasmus also promoted other members in humanist circles, such as Juan Luis Vives, while in Louvain (Jardine 17). Through this example one can see that Erasmus was not only of Dutch heritage, but also engaged in the geographic location of the Low Countries. Alongside his presence in the Low Countries, Erasmus’s influence flourished in other areas of Europe, such as England, where his ideas contributed to the English Reformation (Jardine 12), and Spain, where Erasmus enjoyed immense popularity among intellectuals and members of the Spanish court during the 1520s (Elliot 151-152). Ultimately, Erasmus occupied both a important position locally and internationally in the intellectual world of his time.

Works Cited

Elliot, J.H. Imperial Spain 1469-1716, 151-152. London, Edward Arnold Ltd., 1963.

Jardine, Lisa. Erasmus, Man of Letters : The Construction of Charisma in Print. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2015. Accessed November 15, 2018. ProQuest Ebook Central.

Rummel, Erika. "ERASMUS AND THE LOUVAIN THEOLOGIANS — A STRATEGY OF DEFENSE." Nederlands Archief Voor Kerkgeschiedenis / Dutch Review of Church History 70, no. 1 (1990): 2-12. http://www.jstor.org/stable/24009249.