Simon Dreux d'Aubray
1658
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1658
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Simon Dreux d'Aubray is a 1658 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, a mustache, and a ruffled collar. His face is framed by a circular border with a repeating pattern of lines and dots. Below the circle, there’s a small decorative shield with swirls and what looks like a crown or helmet. The artist used tiny lines to build up shadows and texture, making the face look three-dimensional. This kind of careful linework is called cross-hatching. Look up technique: engraving to see how artists like this create such sharp details.
