Thomae Gresham Equi. Aura (Sir Thomas Gresham)
1608
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1608
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in a dark, ruffled shirt. He wears a wide-brimmed hat and holds a small model of a building in one hand. Around his head are scrolls with words like *AURA* and *PRUDENTIA*, and two cherubs hover above him. The tiny building he holds looks like a market or exchange—maybe a clue to his life’s work. The lines in this print are all made by scratching into metal, a method called *engraving*. Next, check out technique: engraving to see how artists like this made prints.
