Gerard Mercator
Niederländische Grafik 1442–1620, 1574
- Artist
- Niederländische Grafik 1442–1620
- Date
- 1574
- Type
- Medium
- engraving, colored
- Dimensions
- 19.7 × 14.8 cm
- Collection
- National Gallery of Art, Washington
- Licence
- Public domain, CC0
Image description
The portrait features an older male figure, presented from the waist up, positioned seated with his upper body slightly turned to the right. He has a long, full beard and wears a black hat on his head, with his hair partially visible as it peeks from underneath. His facial features include a pronounced, long nose and deep-set eyes. The figure is dressed in a dark purple garment with a white collar, accented by a darker vest or jacket. His right hand is holding a measuring compass tool, and his left arm rests on a globe. In the background, the image is framed by a blue oval border with Latin text encircling the portrait. The entire portrait is set against a textured, brownish-beige paper with additional decorative scrollwork and text beneath the image. A poem or text written in Latin is below the image.