Pierre Noel le Cauchois
1786
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1786
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in a dark coat and powdered wig. He’s looking straight ahead, with a serious but calm face. The image is framed by an oval border, and below it, there’s an open book with a quill pen resting on top. The text around the portrait is in French and mentions dates like 1786. The paper looks old and textured, like it was made by hand. This is an example of engraving, a technique where artists carve into metal plates to create prints.
