Thomas Howard, Earl of Arundel and His Wife

Executed in fine line engraving, Vorsterman renders textures with meticulous cross‑hatching, from the sheen of the woman’s dress to the plushness of the man’s cloak. The chiaroscuro achieved through varying line density creates a three‑dimensional effect, characteristic of early‑modern printmaking that sought realistic representation within a flat medium.

Created in the mid‑seventeenth century, the print was likely commissioned to commemorate the Howard family’s prominence. Copies circulated among collectors of portraiture and served as visual documentation of the Earl’s lineage. The work now resides in several European print collections, reflecting its continued relevance to studies of aristocratic portraiture.