Francisco Pizarro

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man wearing a crown and a loose shirt. His face is serious, and he’s framed by a decorative border with Latin text. Around his head, there’s a banner with more writing, and small symbols like a feather and a shell sit at the corners. The artist used fine lines to create shadows and texture, especially on the man’s face and clothing. This was a common way to make engravings look almost like drawings. If you like this style, look up engraving to see how artists like this made detailed prints.