Jacob Cornelius

About this work

This black-and-white portrait shows a serious man in old-fashioned clothes. He’s holding a pipe in one hand and a stack of papers in the other. Behind him, a small drawing of a draped figure sits on a table, along with a hat and a few books. The text around the edges looks like a poem or description in another language. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, giving the image depth. This kind of detailed line work is typical of an engraving. Next, check out how engraving works to see how artists like this made such sharp prints.