1874
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Head of an Old Man (Etude de tete) is a 1874 ink by Alphonse Legros, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This sketch shows a close-up of an older man’s face and beard. The lines are loose and scratchy, almost like quick strokes with a sharp tool. His eyes are hidden in shadow, and his hair curls wildly around his head. The artist used a technique called drypoint—scratching directly into a metal plate to make the lines. This method lets the ink fill the grooves, creating a grainy, textured look. Look up drypoint to see how it works.
Alphonse Legros (French pronunciation: ; 8 May 1837 – 8 December 1911) was a French, later British, painter, etcher, sculptor, and medallist.
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