Sir Peter Lely

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a serious expression. His face is lit from one side, leaving the other half in shadow. He wears a dark, ruffled collar and a loose jacket, holding a folded paper or letter in his right hand. The artist used shading to make the face look three-dimensional. This style was common in the 1600s. Look up chiaroscuro to learn how artists use light and shadow like this.