"Moriae Encomium" (In Praise of Folly; or, L'Eloge de la Folie) - all 81 engravings by Hans Holbein the Younger

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Moriae Encomium

In Praise of Folly; or, L'Eloge de la Folie

Illustrated by Hans Holbein the Younger

On the left, we show the non-contemporary, but antique,

binding to the 1728 edition of L'Eloge de la Folie.

On the right is shown the title page.

Moriae Encomium - translated as In Praise of Folly (English); or, L'Eloge de la Folie (French) - was the work of

the great Dutch Renaissance Humanist and Theologian, Desiderius Erasmus. That work - written in the closing

years of the first decade of the 16th Century - was a satirical critique of both the Catholic Church and popular

superstitions and was dedicated to his friend, the English Renaissance Humanist, Sir Thomas More.

The 1st Edition of Moriae Encomium carries a suite of 81 engravings that are among the earliest works by

Holbein, having been published around 1515 when he was still in his teenage years. That very year, Holbein

had moved to Basel with his brother, Ambrosius, from his native Augsberg. Following his work of Moriae

Encomium, Holbein contributed illustrations to further early printed works, including Martin Luther's German

translation of the Bible, in addition to other artistic works such as stained-glass installations and his seminal suite

of illustrations known as Der Todten-Tantz (The Dance of Death).

The illustrations within the Collection are from an edition of L'Eloge de la Folie published by François L'Honoré

(Amsterdam) in 1728. When presenting Holbein's illustrations with associated text, we have shown the related

English text provided in John Wilson's 1668 translation of Erasmus' work, in addition to the original French text

from L'Eloge de la Folie (1728) - text which is claimed to be taken from an original copy held, at the time, by

l'Académie de Basle. A comparative analysis of the translations is interesting and perhaps may provide cause, in

itself, for further reflection on the theme developed by Erasmus.

Our Greeting Cards and Reproduction Prints

We have prepared sets of 81 Greeting Cards displaying each of the images from Holbein's interpretations of Moriae Encomium and on the left, we show an example of how these Greeting Cards appear. Ordering one of those sets is as easy as selecting the "Add to Cart" feature below and following the prompts provided with our Shopping Cart secured through PayPal. Multiple purchases will be consolidated by that feature and shipping and handling costs to any destination in the world are accommodated by our flat-rate fee of US$20 for every US$200 worth of purchases.

Code: H ME MS(81)
Price: US$405.00

When presented on Greeting Cards, these images are prepared as tipped-in plates - in homage to the hand-crafted

approach typical of prestige illustrated publications produced in the early decades of the 20th Century.

Hand-finishing is used to replicate the visual appearance of a tipped-in plate and the images are presented on

Ivory card stock (in the case of colour illustrations) or White card stock (in the case of monotone illustrations)

with an accompanying envelope. We have left the cards blank so that you may write your own personal

message.

Should you wish to order a Reproduction Print or an individual Greeting Card from this suite of images, select a

Hyperlink and you will be taken through to a new page showing the individual illustration and purchasing

options. Following those Hyperlinks will also show that text associated with each of the illustrations.

Naturally, we welcome your contact on any matter through ThePeople@SpiritoftheAges.com.

In the meantime, enjoy perusing these wonderful images by Hans Holbein.

Holbein's engravings


Speaking to the Assembly Plate 1 (presented within-text)	Another kind of countenance Plate 2 (presented within-text)	Midas' ears discover their master Plate 3 (presented as a folding plate)

The morose fool Plate 4 (presented within-text)	Jupiter and the Goat Plate 5 (presented within-text)	The Noose of Wedlock Plate 6 (presented within-text)	The merriest part of life Plate 7 (presented within-text)

As plump and round as a Westphalian hog Plate 8 (presented within-text)	Morychus Plate 9 (presented within-text)	Pan, Silenus and Polyphemus Plate 10 (presented as a folding plate)

Whence the first and chiefest delight of man's life springs Plate 11 (presented within-text)	The Cuckold Plate 12 (presented within-text)	Self-love Plate 13 (presented within-text)	The foolish child of a wise man Plate 14 (presented within-text)

Pulling off a horse's tail hair by hair Plate 15 (presented as a folding plate)		A brazen statue in the marketplace Plate 16 (presented within-text)	A truly prudent man Plate 17 (presented within-text)

An old crooked piece Plate 18 (presented within-text)	Our old women Plate 19 (presented within-text)	The Physician Plate 20 (presented within-text)	The Lawyer Plate 21 (presented within-text)

Fools, idiots, lack-wits, and dolts Plate 22 (presented within-text)	Women are so earnestly delighted by this kind of men Plate 23 (presented within-text)	Hunting Plate 24 (presented as a folding plate)

Gamblers Plate 25 (presented within-text)	Good fortune from seeing a Polypheme Christopher Plate 26 (presented within-text)	Saint Bernard and the Devil Plate 27 (presented within-text)	Planning for rememberance Plate 28 (presented within-text)

Preparing the mourners Plate 29 (presented within-text)	Pride in one's lineage Plate 30 (presented within-text)	The Jews expect to this day the coming of the Messiah Plate 31 (presented within-text)	Flattery Plate 32 (presented within-text)

A pitiful painting viewed as if it were from the hand of a Master Plate 33 (presented within-text)	Pluto Plate 34 (presented within-text)	The foolish worship of icons Plate 35 (presented within-text)	One who thinks there is no happiness but in sleep and idleness Plate 36 (presented within-text)

The Pilgrim Plate 37 (presented within-text)	Tormenting them with ferules, rods, and whips Plate 38 (presented within-text)	The Plagiarist Plate 39 (presented within-text)	The Sophist Plate 40 (presented within-text)

The Philosopher Plate 41 (presented within-text)	Armed with mathematical devices Plate 42 (presented within-text)	The Astrologer Plate 43 (presented within-text)	The Theologian Plate 44 (presented within-text)

They explicate the most hidden mysteries according to their own fancy Plate 45 (presented within-text)	Penelope at the loom Plate 46 (presented within-text)	Jupiter and Vulcan Plate 47 (presented within-text)	They are so illiterate that they can't so much as read Plate 48 (presented within-text)

They do all things by rule Plate 49 (presented within-text)	As afraid to touch money as if it were poison Plate 50 (presented within-text)	'Tis their only care that none of them come near another in their manner of living Plate 51 (presented within-text)	Aeneas and Cerberus Plate 52 (presented within-text)

Niobe turning to stone as Apollo kills her sons Plate 53 (presented as a folding plate)		A Chimera Plate 54 (presented within-text)	The Ass and the Lyre Plate 55 (presented within-text)

A Monarch Plate 56 (presented within-text)	A Courtier Plate 57 (presented within-text)	A Bishop Plate 58 (presented within-text)	A Cardinal Plate 59 (presented within-text)

A Pope Plate 60 (presented within-text)	Excommunication Plate 61 (presented within-text)	How soldier-like they bustle about Plate 62 (presented within-text)	Fortune Plate 63 (presented within-text)

Erasmus Plate 64 (presented within-text)	One who has least wit and most confidence Plate 65 (presented within-text)	The fat plump 'epicurean bacon-hog' Plate 66 (presented within-text)	The soul of Scotus leaving the body Plate 67 (presented within-text)

Jeremiah Plate 68 (presented within-text)	Solomon Plate 69 (presented within-text)	I speak like a fool Plate 70 (presented within-text)	An ass at a harp Plate 71 (presented within-text)

The Theologian's Interpretation Plate 72 (presented within-text)	A Theological Dispute Plate 73 (presented within-text)	Caesar, Brutus and Cassius Plate 74 (presented within-text)	Behold the Lamb of God! Plate 75 (presented within-text)

King David Plate 76 (presented within-text)	As if their minds lived elsewhere Plate 77 (presented within-text)	One who relies wholly upon God Plate 78 (presented within-text)	Saint Bernard Plate 79 (presented within-text)

The life of holy men is nothing but a continued meditation Plate 80 (presented within-text)	Wherefore farewell, clap you hands, live and drink lustily Plate 81 (presented as a folding plate)