Saint Mark
1672
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
1672
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Saint Mark is a 1672 ink by Jodocus Bickart, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a close-up of a bearded man with a serious face. He’s wearing a hooded robe that drapes over his shoulders. The background is plain and dark, so all the focus is on his wrinkled skin, thick beard, and the folds of his clothing. The artist used shading to make the face look three-dimensional, almost like you could reach out and touch it. This was a common trick in the 1600s to make portraits feel real. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists used light and shadow like this.
