Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset

Art Historical Context

This engraving by Andries Jacobsz Stock, created after an original design by Simon de Passe, presents a portrait of Robert Carr, Earl of Somerset. Produced between 1551 and 1600, the work is a modest plate measuring 17.7 by 12 centimeters, typical of prints made for personal albums or illustrated volumes. Its crisp lines and careful shading reflect the precision engraving offered artists in capturing a sitter’s features for wider audiences. Engravings like this one played an important role in the sixteenth century by allowing multiple impressions to circulate among collectors and scholars. The collaborative process—Stock working from de Passe’s model—illustrates how printmakers often built upon one another’s work to refine and distribute images of notable figures. Such portraits helped shape public perceptions of status and identity during a period when visual records were gaining new reach. Now part of the Rosenwald Collection at the National Gallery of Art, the print stands as a fine example of early modern portraiture in a reproducible medium. Its survival offers today’s visitors a direct connection to the artistic networks and cultural interests of the era.