John William, Duke of Saxe-Coburg
1550
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From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1550
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white woodcut of a man in fancy clothes. He’s wearing a long, puffy jacket with big sleeves, a fur collar, and a hat with a feather. His hands are tucked into his sleeves, and he’s standing sideways, almost like he’s posing for a photo. The lines are simple but show off the details of his outfit—you can see the stitching and folds in the fabric. Woodcuts like this were often used for portraits back in the day. Want to see more? Look up woodcut to learn how artists made prints like this.
