Francis Drake

Crispijn de Passe I

National Gallery of Art

The image is an historical engraving of a man from the waist up, positioned facing slightly to his left but looking directly at the viewer. The man has a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, with short, wavy hair and a high hairline. He wears formal attire typical of the late 16th century, including a high-collared shirt under a coat adorned with a decorative sash across the chest. The man holds a sphere in his left hand, and his right hand appears to be gesturing near the edge of a globe in front of him. The globe is detailed with representations of different continents marked with letters. Surrounding the oval frame enclosing the portrait are nautical instruments, suggesting a maritime theme. In the background, there is an elaborate engraved scene with maritime decorations, including a detailed illustration of a ship within a circular frame beside the man. The illustration is bordered by Latin text and the year "1598" is at the top.