Final answer:
Hans Holbein the Younger's portrait of Erasmus represents the sitter's profession with the inclusion of scholarly items like books and a writing desk, demonstrating Holbein's signature style of realistic portraiture with symbolic elements.
Step-by-step explanation:
Hans Holbein the Younger was a prominent Northern Renaissance painter known for his realistic and detailed portraits. When looking at Holbein's portrait of Erasmus, it is clear that the portrait represents the sitter's profession. Erasmus was a scholar, and Holbein's portrait includes books and a writing desk, elements that signify his intellectual pursuits. In contrast to the claims that the portrait might be two-dimensional or lacking in emotion, Holbein's work typically provides a strong sense of the sitter's personality and status through careful depiction of clothing, facial expressions, and in the case of portraits like The Ambassadors, symbolic elements that add to the understanding of the figures depicted.
For example, in The Ambassadors, symbols of science and knowledge, such as scientific instruments and books, reflect the professions and interests of the subjects. This approach to portraiture is consistent with Holbein's style, which incorporated elaborate detail and symbolic elements to convey more information about the subjects, much in the way that his portrait of Erasmus would represent the scholar's profession.