Diego Sarmiento de Acuna, Count of Gondomar

Simon de Passe

National Gallery of Art

The image is a black and white etching of a man from the chest upwards. He is facing forward with his head slightly turned to the side. The man has a solemn expression, a high forehead, a prominent nose, and a distinct goatee. He has closely cropped hair and wears a large ruff around his neck. He is dressed formally with a chain and pendant hanging over his chest. The background is dark, with the portrait set in an ornate oval frame. There is Latin text above and around the frame, and additional Latin writing in a decorative panel below the portrait.