Johan de Wit

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a serious expression. He’s wearing a dark collar with a lace trim, and his face is lit from one side, leaving the other in shadow. The background is plain, so all the focus stays on his face and shoulders. The artist used shading to make his face look three-dimensional, almost like you could reach out and touch it. This print looks like it was made using a technique that layers tones to create depth. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow this way.