Sir Francis Drake
published 1642
Medium
engraving
Dimensions
sheet: 13.2 × 11.2 cm (5 3/16 × 4 7/16 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Rosenwald Collection
Accession Number
1951.11.435
Art Historical Context
This engraving of Sir Francis Drake, created by William Marshall and published in 1642, captures the likeness of one of England’s most celebrated Elizabethan explorers and naval commanders. Marshall, a skilled English printmaker active during the first half of the seventeenth century, specialized in portrait engravings that brought notable historical figures to a wider audience. The modest sheet size of roughly five by four inches suggests the work was designed for inclusion in books or personal collections rather than as a standalone wall piece. Drake had already passed away in 1596, so this...
About the Artist
William Marshall
**William Edgar Marshall (1837–1906)** was a preeminent American engraver and portrait painter, renowned for his meticulous line engravings on steel that captured the dignity and character of his subjects. Born in New York City to Scottish parents, Marshall began his career young, apprenticing at age seventeen in a watch-case factory before honing his skills engraving portraits at the U.S. Treasur...