 The engraving is signed under the image at the left , " Martin <unk> <unk> . London " . The <unk> were a family of artists from the Netherlands , who had moved to Britain . Because there were two members of the family named Martin there has been some dispute about which of the two created the engraving . Most sources state that the engraver was Martin Droeshout the Younger ( 1601 – after 1639 ) , the son of Michael Droeshout , an immigrant from Brussels . Except for his date of birth and parentage , very little is known about Martin the Younger , but since his father was an engraver , it has been assumed that Martin followed in his father 's footsteps , and that he made the engraving of Shakespeare . As he was 15 when Shakespeare died , he may never have seen him and it has been assumed that he worked from an existing image . 
