James I

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in fancy clothes. He’s holding a small globe in his left hand and adjusting his collar with his right. Around his neck are medals and a chain with symbols—maybe a coat of arms. The background is plain, so all the focus is on his face and the details of his outfit. The tiny lines all over the image create the shading and texture. This is how the artist made it look three-dimensional without color. Try looking up engraving to see how artists use lines like this to build shadows and depth.