Portrait of Nicolaus Machiavellus

What it is

This is an engraved oval portrait of Machiavelli by Johann Georg Mentzel, held by Leipzig University Library in Germany. The image shows a balding, curly-haired man in a light robe with a dark collar, holding a book, inside an ornate frame. The inscription below reads Nicolaus Machiavellus, the Latin form of his name.

Why it matters

The print was made long after Machiavelli's death and reflects how European readers in later centuries came to know him. The book he holds suggests his identity as a writer, which is how his reputation was built through works such as The Prince. The Latin inscription shows that the image was meant for scholarly readers who knew his name in its learned form.

Look closer

• What does the book in the man's hands tell you about how the engraver wanted him to be seen?
• Why might a German engraver use a Latin name in the caption?
• How might an engraver's choices, such as the frame and the robe, shape the viewer's opinion of the subject?