Sir Anthony Shirley, Traveler and Ambassador to Persia

Custos employed a burin to carve precise lines into a copper plate, creating sharp contrasts and intricate textures. The folds of fabric, facial wrinkles, and fine details of the ruff are rendered with meticulous control. The circular border frames the portrait and integrates text seamlessly, a common compositional device in portrait engravings of the period, enhancing both structure and legibility.

Custos, trained in Antwerp and based in Augsburg, produced this print during his tenure under Emperor Rudolf II in Prague. Augsburg was a hub for printmaking, and Custos’s workshop was known for high-quality engravings of nobility and travelers. This portrait likely circulated among European elites interested in foreign diplomacy and exploration, serving as a visual record of cross-cultural engagement.

In the late 16th and early 17th centuries, European powers sought alliances with Persia to counter Ottoman influence. Shirley’s mission was part of this geopolitical strategy. Engravings like this one helped disseminate images of diplomats and explorers, reinforcing narratives of English involvement in global affairs. The medium allowed for replication and distribution, making such portraits accessible beyond court circles.

Custos’s engraving remains a documented example of how portraiture served diplomatic purposes in the early modern era. It preserves the visual language of status and authority used by traveling envoys. While not widely known today, it contributes to the historical record of how European societies visually represented their engagement with the wider world through print culture.