Henri de Savoie, Duc de Nemours
1643
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
About the artist
Artist
Claude Mellan
Claude Mellan (1598–1688) was a French artist, born in Abbeville.
See the richer artist page1643
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Henri de Savoie, Duc de Nemours is a 1643 ink by Claude Mellan, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with curly hair and a serious expression. He’s wearing a ruffled collar and a dark garment with a chain or locket at his chest. The background is plain, but the face is framed by two large circles—one inside the other—like a decorative border. Notice the tiny lines crisscrossing the face and clothing. Those are made by the artist’s tool, not paint. It’s a way to build up shadows and texture without color. Want to see how this works up close? Look up engraving, cross-hatching.
Claude Mellan (1598–1688) was a French artist, born in Abbeville.
See the richer artist page
