It was he who eventually was able to shed some light on the subject of this piece, having come upon a 17th-century etching that depicted the same man. The mysterious sitter turned out to be one Lancelot Andrewes, a priest and then bishop of Winchester, who had a hand in the drafting of the newly commissioned King James Bible.
A 17th-century etching by Wenzel Hollar helped identify the mystery man in the painting once owned by George Way. Many printmakers of the time captured the likenesses of famous people, who also were painted by known artists of the period. The particular engraving that helped identify the sitter in the portrait, shown here, depicts him wearing robes that clearly reveal him to be a man of the cloth. Oil Painting
The etching was the work of the famous Bohemian engraver Wenzel Hollar, who produced a massive body of work throughout the 17th century. Known as Wenzel Hollar in Germany, in England, he was known as Wenceslaus. Hollar was born in Prague in 1607 and died in London 70 years later. His earliest works date to about 1625. Many, like this one, were small in scale. He was inspired mainly by Durer, the German painter, printmaker and engraver who is regarded as one of the greatest artists of the Northern Renaissance.
