John Barclay

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with a serious expression. His dark hair curls at the edges, and his beard is neatly trimmed. He wears a high-collar garment with detailed patterns—tiny dots and lines that look like embroidery. The background is plain, keeping all focus on his face and shoulders. The text at the top reads *"Io. Barclayvs"*—this is John Barclay, a scholar. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and depth, a trick called cross-hatching. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.