Michaeas
1613
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1613
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Michaeas is a 1613 ink by Theodor Galle, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in a round frame. He’s wearing a dark, ruffled collar and a loose shirt with a chain visible at his chest. His left hand rests on a ledge, while his right hand holds something small, maybe a book or a paper. The background is plain, keeping all focus on his face and shoulders. The name "Michaeas" is written at the top, but we don’t know who he is. The artist used lots of tiny lines to create shadows and texture—this is called cross-hatching. Next, check out cross-hatching to see how artists build depth with just lines.
