1657
chalk
vellum
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Portrait of a Man is a 1657 chalk by Thomas de Keyser, a Baroque work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This drawing shows a man with curly hair and a mustache, dressed in a dark coat with a white collar. His face is turned slightly toward us, and his expression is serious. The background is plain, so all the focus stays on his face and clothes. The artist used only black chalk on a light background, making the lines stand out sharply. This style was common in the 1600s for quick but detailed portraits. Next, check out the Baroque movement to see how artists used drama and contrast in their work.
Thomas de Keyser (c. 1596 – 1667) was a Dutch portrait painter and a dealer in Belgium bluestone and stone mason. He was the most in-demand portrait painter in the Netherlands until the 1630s, when Rembrandt eclipsed…
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