Title page, An History of the Civill Warres of England
1641
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1641
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Title page, An History of the Civill Warres of England is a 1641 ink by Renold Elstrack, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This print is packed with sharp black lines on a light background. At the top, two winged figures hold up a crown and a scepter. Below them, four portraits of serious-looking men in fancy clothes sit in circles. The center text reads *An History of the Civill Warres of England*, surrounded by small scenes of battles and people in armor. The tiny details—like the crown’s jewels or the soldiers’ helmets—show how much work went into each line. This isn’t a painting; it’s carved into metal using a technique called *engraving*. Next, check out how engraving works by looking at close-ups of other prints like this.
