John Trumbull

About this work

This engraving shows a serious man in a dark coat, his face lit from the side. His name is John Trumbull, a painter and soldier from the American Revolution. Durand made this print in 1833, years after Trumbull painted his famous scenes of the war. The fine lines—called cross-hatching—build up shadows and texture without a single brushstroke. It’s like a pencil drawing carved into metal. If you like how lines can shape a face, look up the technique: cross-hatching.