Portrait of Amerigo Vespucci
1804
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1804
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man’s head and shoulders, shown in profile. His hair is curly, and he’s wearing a high-collared shirt. The background is plain, with no extra details—just his face and the edge of his hand resting near his chest. The name "Amerigo Vespucci" is printed below, meaning this is a portrait of the explorer. The artist used shading to make the face look three-dimensional. Check out chiaroscuro to see how this lighting trick works.
