The Fortifications

A portrait engraving of the Italian military engineer and architect Buonaiuto Lorini. The subject is depicted from the waist up within an oval medallion, facing slightly to the right. He has a short, thick beard and hair, and is wearing a high-collared doublet with a complex floral pattern, accented by several heavy decorative chains draped around his neck. The oval medallion is set within a highly ornate rectangular frame featuring Mannerist scrollwork, garlands of fruit and flowers, and a winged cherub's head at the top center. At the bottom center of the frame is a small cartouche containing a coat of arms with five stylized peaks or mounds. The engraver's signature is located at the base of the scene.