Terminus, the Device of Erasmus

Holbein's Terminus, the Device of Erasmus (c. 1532) depicts the Roman boundary god that Erasmus had adopted as his personal device, accompanied by the motto 'Concedo nulli' (I yield to no one). Erasmus had encountered a Roman gem depicting Terminus during a visit to Thomas More's collection and adopted the image as a symbol of steadfast intellectual principle — the boundary between truth and error that cannot be negotiated. Holbein, who had a close friendship with Erasmus, created several versions of this device, reflecting the deep intellectual and personal bond between the painter and the greatest humanist scholar of the age. The work documents a moment of extraordinary creative and intellectual community.

The small panel on wood is painted with Holbein's characteristic precision, with the classical bust of Terminus rendered as a convincing piece of sculpture. The technique demonstrates Holbein's ability to render different materials — stone, inscription, and decorative elements — with equal precision and tactile conviction.