Thomas Haaringh (Old Haaringh)
1655
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white drawing of a seated man in old-fashioned clothes. He’s wearing a high-collared shirt, a dark coat, and a wide-brimmed hat. His hands rest on his lap, and he looks straight ahead with a serious expression. Behind him, a window with small panes lets in dim light, and the wall and furniture are drawn with lots of texture. The artist used fine lines to show wrinkles in the man’s clothes and face, making everything look detailed and three-dimensional. This kind of drawing was made by pressing a metal tool into a plate, then rolling ink over it. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how light and shadow create depth in art.
