Robertus Cottonus Bruceus (Sir Robert Cotton)
1655
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1655
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Robertus Cottonus Bruceus (Sir Robert Cotton) is a 1655 ink by Thomas Cross, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a full beard and curly hair. He’s wearing a ruffled collar that fans out around his neck. The background is plain, but his name—*Robertus Cottonus Bruceus*—is written in a circle around his head in fancy letters. The artist used tiny lines to build up shadows and details, giving the face texture. The Latin text below hints at a joke about books and aging—something to do with old papers. Want to see how this technique works? Look up cross-hatching.
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