Peter the Great of Russia
1766
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1766
graphite
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a mustache. He’s wearing a high-collared coat with lace at the wrists. The background is a simple oval frame with swirly patterns around it. The artist used shading to give the face volume, making the light hit the forehead and cheekbones. The paper looks old, with faint marks showing through. Next, look up Baroque to see how this style shaped portraits across Europe.
