Marie de Medici, Wife of Henry IV of France

About this work

This engraving shows a woman dressed in fancy 17th-century clothes, sitting with one arm resting on a chair. She wears a large, ruffled collar, a crown, and a heavy necklace. A small picture of a building hangs on the wall behind her, and her hand points toward it. The lines in the image are dark and detailed, creating shadows and textures. The text around the image is in Latin and German, describing her life and family. The style looks like it was made much later than when she lived, giving it a slightly dramatic feel. This is an example of engraving, a technique where artists etch lines into metal plates to create prints.