Sir Thomas Isham
1676
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1676
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a ruffled collar. He’s looking straight ahead, his face serious but not harsh. The background is plain, but the frame is fancy—lots of swirls, a crest, and some writing at the bottom. The artist used fine lines to show details in the man’s hair and clothing. This kind of careful linework is called cross-hatching. Check out how engraving works to see how artists create shadows and texture with just lines.
