Vincentius Carafa, Jesuit

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a serious face. He’s wearing a dark robe with a high collar, and his hands rest in his lap. The background is plain, but the edges of the oval frame are filled with tight, crisscrossed lines—almost like woven rope. The text below says he’s a Jesuit named Vincentius Carafa, and it gives a date of 1649. That’s odd because the style looks much newer, so it might be a mix-up. The artist isn’t named, but the way the lines are layered is a clue. If you like this style, look into engraving to see how artists create such sharp details.