The artwork titled “Folly at the Lectern” by Hans Holbein the Younger, created in 1515 during the Northern Renaissance movement, is a miniature illustration currently housed at the Kunstmuseum Basel in Basel, Switzerland.
The artwork showcases an intricate miniature drawing integrated into a page of text. The drawing features a figure in a fool’s cap, depicted at a lectern, possibly engaged in a scholarly or rhetorical activity. The text surrounding the illustration is rendered in an elegant typeset, complemented by detailed illustrations, including elaborate ornamental initials. The left page margin is filled with meticulously handwritten annotations, indicating an engagement with and commentary on the printed text. The humorous and satirical nature of the figure draws attention to the themes of folly and wisdom, characteristic of Holbein’s keen observation and artistic skill during the Renaissance era.
