John Speed

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in old-fashioned clothes. He wears a wide-brimmed hat, a ruffled collar, and a dark coat with a fur trim. One hand rests on a table holding a piece of paper with a faint sketch, while the other holds a rolled-up document. The background shows a curtain and a small bird on the table, adding detail to the scene. The text below the image is in Latin, describing the man’s life and work. It suggests he was a scholar or mapmaker, which matches the papers on the table. Look up engraving to see how artists like this made detailed prints using metal plates.