Woman with a Ruff in Profile
1643
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1643
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a woman turned slightly to the side. She wears a big, starched collar that covers most of her neck, and her hair is pulled back. The lines in the picture are tight and detailed, especially around her face and the ruff. The artist used a technique that lets them carve fine lines into metal plates—this is called etching. The result looks like a sketch but is actually a print. Next, check out etching to see how artists create prints like this one.
