Artwork preview

John King, Bishop of London

Simon de Passe

National Gallery of Art

The image shows an engraved portrait of a man visible from the waist up. The man is seated with his body facing slightly to the left, his gaze directed straight ahead. He has a long, narrow face with a prominent nose, a full, long beard and mustache, and high, furrowed eyebrows. His hair is cut relatively short and covered with a closely-fitted cap. The man is dressed in formal attire typical of the time, featuring a high, stiff ruff around his neck and a dark robe worn over a voluminous white shirt with puffed sleeves. His hands are holding an open book, which is resting on a cloth in front of him. Surrounding the portrait is an ornate architectural border with scrollwork, including an emblem featuring a bishop’s mitre. Text in Latin is inscribed around the border and at the bottom of the image. The background is a simple, darkly hatched area, highlighting the subject.

Artwork Details

Medium
engraving
Dimensions
7871 × 12284 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
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