Lucas Cranach

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of an older man with a thick white beard and deep wrinkles. His gaze is steady, and the background is plain, keeping all focus on his face. The lines in the print are tight and detailed, especially around his beard and forehead. The artist used a method called cross-hatching to build up shadows and texture. This technique makes the image look almost three-dimensional. Next, look up engraving to see how artists create detailed prints like this one.