Thomas Holcroft
1799
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1799
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This is a black-and-white portrait of a man with short hair and a high-collared coat. His face is serious, and he’s framed inside a round, dotted border. The background is plain, so all the focus stays on him. The name "Thomas Holcroft, Esq." is written below, and the print was published in 1799. The artist used tiny dots and lines to create the image—this is called stipple engraving. Next, look up engraving to see how artists build up shadows and light with just dots.
