Henry II of England

About this work

This is a black-and-white engraving of a bearded man wearing a crown and a heavy fur-lined robe. He holds a small orb with a cross on top, and his hands are detailed with rings. Around his head is a fancy oval frame with Latin words and two small shields at the top corners. The tiny lines crisscrossing his face and clothes aren’t mistakes—they’re part of the *engraving* technique, called cross-hatching, to create shadows. Check out how artists used *engraving* to make intricate portraits like this one.