Sir Walter Raleigh
1640
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1640
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a bearded man in a ruff collar. He’s holding a pipe in one hand and a paper or scroll in the other. Behind him, there’s a shield with a cross on it and a book with a ribbon. The text below says *"The Noble and Learned Knight Sir Walter Raleigh."* The top reads *"Tam Marti, Quam Mercurio"*—Latin for *"As Mars, Rather Than Mercury."* That’s a nod to his warrior side over his scholar side. Want to see more? Look up engraving to see how artists carved this level of detail.
