Jean-Baptiste Colbert
1673
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1673
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Dominant colour
Jean-Baptiste Colbert is a 1673 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 high collar and a dark coat, framed by a wavy, decorative border. The lines around his face and clothes are made of tiny, crisscrossed strokes. The portrait is an engraving, not a painting—it’s drawn into metal and printed. That’s why the details look like fine scratch marks. Look up engraving to see how artists carved these precise lines.
