1862
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
Dominant colour
Benjamin Fillon, Man of Letters is a 1862 by Charles Meryon, a Impressionism work, held at Cleveland Museum of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair, a thick beard, and a mustache. He’s wearing a high-collared coat with a folded scarf or cravat at the neck. The lines in the drawing are tight and detailed, especially around his face and clothes. The artist used shading to create depth, making the face stand out against the plain background. This style was common in 19th-century portraiture. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create drama in art.
Charles Meryon (sometimes Méryon, 23 November 1821 – 14 February 1868) was a French artist who worked almost entirely in etching, as he had colour blindness.
See the richer artist page
