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Joseph Barth

Nikolaus Rhein

1804

ink

paper

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Romanticism Early 19th Century Portrait

Dominant colour

Joseph Barth is a 1804 ink by Nikolaus Rhein, a Romanticism work, held at National Gallery of Art.

Who painted this?: Nikolaus Rhein
When & what style?: 1804 · Romanticism
Where can I see it?: National Gallery of Art

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a person with curly hair and a wide-brimmed hat. They’re wearing a ruffled collar and a dark jacket, sitting against a plain background. The face looks serious but calm, with soft shading around the edges. The artist used a technique called *mezzotint*, which creates smooth tones by scraping metal plates. This makes the image look like a soft drawing instead of a sharp etching. Next, check out the artist Rhein, Nikolaus to see more of his work.