Josuah Sylvester, Poet

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a serious-looking man with a thick beard and ruffled collar. His hair is wavy, and he’s wearing a chain around his neck. The background is plain, but the edges of the oval frame are packed with Latin words in fancy lettering. The text around the portrait praises the man’s words and life, calling him a poet. The style looks old-fashioned, with careful lines and shading. Want to see how this kind of detailed linework was made? Look up engraving.