Marie-Antoinette
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1774
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a woman with light hair styled in a tall, curly updo. She wears a lace collar and a pearl necklace, plus a brooch with two small images on it. The background is plain, keeping all focus on her face and shoulders. The artist used a technique called *mezzotint*, which creates smooth tones by scraping metal plates. This was common for detailed portraits in the 1700s. Check out the technique: etching to see how artists like this made prints.
![A Woman Wearing a Straw Hat [Madame de Pompadour?]](https://pub-3a17a9933ad74fb28aa30fa758592f23.r2.dev/artworks/a8849525097954a5/thumb.webp)
