Portrait of Joachim, Count of Ortenburg at Age 69 - Dominicus Custos

A detailed 1599 engraving by Dominicus Custos, capturing the likeness of Joachim, Count of Ortenburg, in the formal style of the late Renaissance.

This engraving by Dominicus Custos depicts Joachim, Count of Ortenburg, at the age of sixty-nine. Executed in 1599, the work exemplifies the technical precision of late sixteenth-century printmaking. Custos, a Flemish engraver who spent much of his career in Augsburg, utilised a sophisticated system of hatching and cross-hatching to model the count's features and the texture of his attire.

The subject is presented within an oval frame, a common convention for portraiture of the period. The Latin inscription surrounding the bust identifies the sitter and his age, while the text below provides a brief laudatory comment on his lineage and character. Joachim is shown wearing a large, pleated ruff, which was a standard element of aristocratic fashion during the late Renaissance. The fine detail in the lace of the ruff and the embroidered pattern on his doublet demonstrates the engraver's ability to render varied surfaces through line work alone.

Custos was known for his contributions to portrait series, often documenting the nobility and scholars of his time. This print reflects the formal, restrained aesthetic favoured by the European elite at the close of the century. The composition is balanced and clear, focusing the viewer's attention on the sitter's face, which is rendered with a sense of gravity and individual character. The use of light and shadow creates a subtle three-dimensional effect, giving the portrait a lifelike quality despite the monochromatic nature of the medium. As a historical document, the print serves as a record of both the physical appearance of the Count and the stylistic preferences of the era's print culture.