William Cecil, First Baron Burghley
1565
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1565
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
William Cecil, First Baron Burghley is a 1565 ink by Frans Hogenberg, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white engraving of a serious-looking man with a long white beard and fur collar. He’s holding a rolled-up paper in one hand and a small book or tablet in the other. Behind him, there’s a fancy architectural frame with swirls and columns, and a shield with a coat of arms sits in the middle. The artist used cross-hatching—tiny crisscrossed lines—to create shadows and texture, making the clothing and face look almost three-dimensional. This kind of detail was common in Renaissance prints. Next, look up engraving to see how artists like this made prints before photography.
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