Portrait of the painter Johan Christian Dahl
1850
unspecified
From the collection of Statens Museum for Kunst
This is a close-up portrait of a young man with light brown hair and a serious expression. He’s wearing a dark coat over a white cravat tied in a loose bow. The background is completely black, making his face stand out sharply. The artist used soft shading to blend his features, especially around the eyes and neck. This makes the face look smooth and three-dimensional. Look up *sfumato* to see how this technique works.
