François de Troy, after a Self-Portrait
1738
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
1738
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art
This black-and-white print shows a man in a dark hat and coat, sitting with one arm resting on a ledge. He holds a walking stick in one hand and a bundle of brushes in the other, like he’s ready to paint or just finished. His face looks serious, with a bit of a frown and a shadowy beard. The brushes suggest he might be an artist, and the dark background makes his face stand out sharply. This style of lighting, where light and dark contrast strongly, is called *chiaroscuro*—it’s a trick to add drama. Look up chiaroscuro to see how artists use light and shadow to tell stories.
