Sir Thomas Isham
1676
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1676
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a ruffled collar. He’s looking straight ahead with a serious expression. The background is plain, but the frame is fancy—full of swirls, a coat of arms, and some Latin text at the bottom. The artist used fine lines to show the folds in his clothes and the texture of his hair. This kind of detailed linework is typical of engravings. Next, check out how engraving works to see how artists create these sharp details.
