Jean-Baptiste Colbert
1662
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1662
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Jean-Baptiste Colbert is a 1662 ink by Robert Nanteuil, a Baroque 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 dark collar and looks like he’s posing for a formal picture. Around his head is a round frame with fancy text in Latin, and below it’s a small coat of arms. The artist used tiny lines to create shading, giving the face a three-dimensional look. This kind of detail is typical of engravings, where artists carve or etch lines into a surface. Next, look up engraving to see how this technique works.
