Marginal Drawings for The Praise of Folly (3), by Hans and Ambrosius Holbein, 1515

Four marginal drawings in a copy of "the praise of folly" by erasmus of rotterdam. Pen and black indian ink (no. 54) or black ink oxidised to brown, kunstmuseum basel. Two women dedicating candles before an image of the virgin (no. 54) a mathematical scholar (no. 41) a theologian (no. 42) mars and venus caught in bed by vulcan (no. 43) hans holbein and his brother, ambrosius, drew 82 marginal sketches in the copy of the praise of folly owned by classical scholar oswald myconius, who planned to show the result to the author, his friend desiderius erasmus. They include the first works by hans holbein to survive intact. Most of the sketches are by hans holbein, whose style and left-handed hatching identify him from ambrosius, who drew the last of these four sketches. References buck, stephanie, hans holbein, cologne: könemann, 1999, isbn 3829025831, p. 10. Müller, christian; stephan kemperdick; maryan ainsworth; et al, hans holbein the younger: the basel years, 1515–1532, munich: prestel, 2006, isbn 9783791335803, pp. 146–57. Date: 1515.