Portrait of Sir Maziere Brady, Lord Chancellor of Ireland (1796-1871)
1868
oil
From the collection of National Gallery of Ireland
1868
oil
From the collection of National Gallery of Ireland
The painting depicts a man standing in front of a red curtain, wearing a long black robe with gold trim and a white lace collar. He has long, curly white hair and is looking directly at the viewer. His right hand is resting on a table to his left, which is covered with a green cloth and has a rolled-up piece of paper on it. The man's attire suggests that he is a person of importance, possibly a judge or a government official. The red curtain behind him adds a sense of drama and grandeur to the scene. The painting's use of chiaroscuro creates a sense of depth and dimensionality, drawing the viewer's eye to the subject's face. To learn more about this technique, look up chiaroscuro.
