John Caspar Lavater

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man’s head and shoulders. His face is turned slightly to the side, showing a strong nose and curly hair. The background is plain, but the lines in his hair and clothing are detailed and textured. The artist used a technique that creates sharp, layered lines—this isn’t paint, but ink on paper. The result looks almost like a drawing carved into metal. Next, look up etching to see how artists like this made prints with acid and needles.