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Hugo Grotius

Jacques de Gheyn II

1599

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Renaissance Renaissance Portrait

Dominant colour

Hugo Grotius is a 1599 ink by Jacques de Gheyn II, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Jacques de Gheyn II
When & what style?: 1599 · Renaissance
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a young man in a round frame. He wears a fancy collar and a detailed jacket with buttons down the front. His hands rest on a small object, maybe a book or a jewel. The background is plain, and the lines are sharp, like it was drawn with care. The text around him is in Latin, and the date "1599" is written on the side. This isn’t a painting—it’s an engraving, which means the artist etched the design into a metal plate. Next, check out how artists used engraving to create detailed portraits like this one.