Sir Walter Raleigh

Art Historical Context

This striking print, created around 1616 by Dutch engraver Simon van de Passe, captures Sir Walter Raleigh in his later years as a multifaceted figure of Elizabethan and Jacobean England. Raleigh appears as a statesman and explorer, distinguished by his neatly trimmed beard and mustache, and holding a baton that symbolizes his authority as a navigator and colonizer. The portrait reflects his enduring reputation as both a courtier and a writer, even as his fortunes declined under King James I. Van de Passe, active in England during this period, specialized in detailed portrait engravings that brought notable personalities to a broader audience. As a print rather than a painting, this work highlights the growing importance of reproductive media in the early 17th century, allowing images of influential men like Raleigh to circulate widely through books and collections. Housed in the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the engraving serves as a valuable historical document of an age when exploration, literature, and political ambition intertwined. It invites viewers to consider Raleigh’s complex legacy as both a promoter of English colonization in the Americas and a symbol of Renaissance curiosity.