Joseph Hall, Bishop of Exeter and Norwich

John Payne

National Gallery of Art

The image shows a portrait of an older man facing slightly to one side, with a long face, deep-set eyes, pronounced eyebrows, a sharp nose, and a long white beard. He wears a dark cap, a high-collared ruff, and holds an open book in one hand. A medallion hangs around his neck. The background features decorative scrolls with text, and the portrait is framed with an inscription identifying him as "EXON EPISCOP. VERA EFFIGIES IOSEPHI HALL REV. PATER." Verses below elaborate on his virtues, and the image has an intricate illustrative style, indicating it may be an engraving or woodcut from an earlier period.