Robert Aylett

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a serious-looking man in old-fashioned clothes. He’s wearing a high-collar shirt with lace trim and a dark robe over his shoulders. His right hand holds a folded paper or letter, and his left hand rests on his chest. The background is just a plain dark area, so all the focus stays on him. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, especially on his face and clothes. This makes the portrait look almost three-dimensional. The small print at the bottom is in Latin, but it’s not clear what it says. If you like this style, look up engraving to see how artists use lines to build up details.