The Man Who Painted the Reformation

In July 1519, Erasmus of Rotterdam wrote a letter describing his friend and fellow humanist Thomas More. "His expression," Erasmus wrote, "shows the sort of man he is, always friendly and cheerful, with something of the air of one who smiles easily, and (to speak frankly) disposed to be merry rather than serious or solemn." Eight years later, however, it was a serious and solemn More who sat to have his portrait painted by Hans Holbein the Younger. That famous painting, which usually hangs at the Frick Collection, is currently on display at the Morgan Library as part of "Holbein: Capturing Character," an exhibition replete with oils and sketches of statesmen, scholars, merchants, and noblewomen. In the portrait, the middle-aged More appears watchful and taciturn, with a furrowed brow. He wears a gold chain bearing an unfurled rose, the symbol of his Tudor master.