Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London
1598
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1598
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Sir Richard Whittington, Lord Mayor of London is a 1598 ink by Renold Elstrack, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a serious-looking man in a fur-lined robe. His face is framed by a wreath of words, and he holds a cat in one arm. The background is filled with fancy letters and symbols, like a coat of arms and a crown. The lines are precise, almost like drawing with a pen. The cat looks calm, tucked under his arm like a small pet. The text around him praises his good works, but you don’t need to read Latin to see how important he seems. This is an example of engraving, a technique where artists etch lines into metal plates.
