Auguste Poulet-Malassis

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with a full beard and mustache. He’s wearing a collared shirt and a dark jacket over his shoulder. The background looks like rough, textured lines, almost like a wood grain pattern. The artist used shading to show depth in the man’s face and beard, making it look three-dimensional. This style was common in portraits from that time. Next, check out sfumato to see how artists like this used soft blending for realistic skin tones.