Sir Walter Raleigh
1621
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Simon van de Passe
Simon van de Passe (1595–1647) was an artist, born in Cologne.
See the richer artist page1621
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Sir Walter Raleigh is a 1621 ink by Simon van de Passe, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in a ruff collar and chainmail. His hands rest on a sword hilt, and his gaze is direct. Around him, a decorative border holds Latin words like *"VERA EFFIGIES"* (true likeness) and *"IN WOOD"*—likely a nod to the material used. The tiny lines and shading here aren’t paint but tiny cuts in metal, a trick to create light and shadow. This kind of precision work was a big deal in its time. Want to see how this technique works up close? Look up engraving.
Simon van de Passe (1595–1647) was an artist, born in Cologne.
See the richer artist page
