Sir Francis Bacon
1621
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1621
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in old-fashioned clothes. He wears a wide-brimmed hat, a ruff collar, and a dark coat with buttons. His hands rest on a book or paper. Above his head is a coat of arms with two small figures and a shield. The border around him has swirling letters and symbols, including the words *"METUAM RA"* and *"HONORI"* at the top. The text below his face reads *"Honor... Mortuus 9 Aprilis Anno Dni 1626"*—meaning he died in 1626. This is an example of engraving, a technique where artists carve images into metal plates.
