Equestrian Portrait of Don Juan de Austria
1648
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1648
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white print shows a man on horseback, dressed in fancy armor and a wide-brimmed hat with feathers. He holds a long stick in his right hand and looks calm but ready. Behind him, a city and ships at sea are sketched in, giving the scene a sense of power and distance. The artist used fine lines to show the armor’s details and the horse’s muscle. The background is simpler, focusing on the rider’s strength. Want to see more? Look up etching to learn how artists like this made prints.
