Frans van Mieris I

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a mustache. He’s wearing a dark coat over a white shirt with ruffled cuffs, and his arms are crossed. Behind him, a dark background shows a faint building and a pillar, but the focus is on his face and shoulders. The text below is in Dutch and seems to be a poem or description, but it’s hard to read. The artist signed it in the corner. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this strong light-and-shadow effect works.