King James I

Unknown Artist

National Gallery of Art

The image depicts an engraved portrait of a man in an oval frame. The man is shown from the chest up, facing to the right. He has a high forehead, pointed nose, full beard, mustache, curly shoulder-length hair, and wears an elaborate hat with feathers. He is dressed in a detailed period-style garment with a high collar and a chain with an emblem. The oval frame is adorned with allegorical figures and text, including a seated male figure with a lyre, a female figure with a spear, and two figures in classical attire at the bottom. The background is intricately detailed with a decorative border, and the text identifies the man as a king. A passage of text is inscribed beneath the portrait.