The Burgomaster
1760
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1760
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
The Burgomaster is a 1760 ink by Richard Houston, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in old-fashioned clothes. He’s wearing a wide-brimmed hat, a ruffled white collar, and a dark coat with buttons. His hands rest on a ledge, and there’s a small object—maybe a glove or a tool—leaning against it. The artist used shading to make the man’s face stand out against the dark background. This style was common in the 1700s for creating drama with light and shadow. Next, check out chiaroscuro to see how artists used light and dark to tell stories.
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