Henry IV of France

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in fancy robes. He’s standing with his left hand on his hip and his right hand resting on a sword hilt. The robe has lots of buttons and a big sash with symbols across his chest. Behind him, there’s a decorative arch with swirls and small scenes of ships and buildings. The tiny lines all over the image create shadows and texture—this is how the artist built up the details. It’s not painted; it’s etched into metal. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.