Jan Cornelisz. Sylvius

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a full beard and curly hair. He’s wearing a dark, textured robe and looks like he’s holding a piece of paper or cloth in his left hand. The lines in the print are tight and detailed, especially around his face and hands, making everything look almost three-dimensional. The artist used a technique that lets them scratch directly into the metal plate, creating those sharp, layered lines. This isn’t paint—it’s an etching, where ink fills the grooves left by the tool. Next, look up etching to see how this process works.