A first statue is mentioned by early-17C printer Matthijs Bastiaensz as having been sent in 1536, the year of Erasmus's death, by the civic leaders of Basel where he died, but is not otherwise attested.

[1] In 1557 a more durable statue of Erasmus was made in Belgian blue stone, paid for by the now King of Spain, Philip II.

[4] Joost van den Vondel wrote a poem about it that same year, titled To the splendid metal statue in Rotterdam erected in honour of the great Erasmus.

The first quote, by writer and illustrator Joachim Oudaan (1628-1692), reads: DESIDERIO ERASMO / MAGNO SCIENTIARVM ATQUE LITTERATVRAE / POLITIORIS VINDICI ET INSTAVRATORI / VIRO SAECVLI SVI PRIMARIO / CIVI OMNIVM PRAESTANTISSIMO / AC NOMINIS IMMORTALITATEM SCRIPTIS / AEVITERNIS IVRE CONSECVTO / S.P.Q.

ROTERODAMVS / NE QVOD TANTIS APVD SE / SVOSQVE POSTEROS / VIRTVTIBVS PRAEMIVM DEESSET / STATVAM HANC EX AERE PVBLICO / ERIGENDAM CVRAVERUNT.

The second quote, by Nicolaas Heinsius the Elder, reads: BARBARIAE TALEM SE DEBELLATOR ERASMVS / MAXIMA LAVS BATAVI NOMINIS ORE TVLIT / REDDIDIT EN FATIS ARS OBLVCTATA SINISTRIS / DE TANTO SPOLIVM NACTA QVOD VRNA VIRO EST / INGENII COELESTE IVBAR MAIVSQVE CADVCO / TEMPORE QVI REDDAT SOLVS ERASMVS ERIT.

In 1940 ahead of the German invasion, the statue was moved to a protected location, buried under the courtyard of the Museum Boijmans Van Beuningen.