A trompe l'oeil of letters, an engraved portrait of Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466-1536) after Hans Holbein, a quill, a penknife, newspapers, a stick of red wax and other objects held by ribbons on wooden boards

Edwaert Collier moved from the Netherlands to London in May 1693, where he remained for the rest of his life. There he became renowned for his paintings of trompe l'oeil letter boards, featuring local newspapers, including the London Gazette, pamphlets, prints and transcripts of speeches given at parliament. The artist's signature often appears on letters, as in the present example.

We are grateful to Fred G. Meijer for endorsing the attribution on the basis of digital photographs (private communication, 8 August 2024).