Portrait of a gentleman of the Lovedon family
1645
oil
From the collection of National Library of Wales
This painting shows a man standing with his left hand on his hip and holding a sword in his right hand. He wears an intricately patterned jacket with buttons down the front and a high collar. The background is dark, with a coat of arms in the upper left corner. The man's attire and the coat of arms suggest he is a member of a noble family. The painting is done in oil paint, which gives it a rich, textured look. The use of chiaroscuro, a technique that uses strong contrasts between light and dark, adds depth and drama to the portrait. You can learn more about this technique by looking up chiaroscuro.
