Portrait of Paulus Cornelisz van Beresteyn, Burgomaster of Delft
1617
unspecified
From the collection of Rijksmuseum
This painting shows a balding man with a full gray beard and mustache. He wears a dark, fur-lined cloak over a white ruff collar. The background is plain and dark, keeping all focus on his face. His expression is calm but serious, with careful attention to the folds in his collar and the texture of his skin. The lighting highlights his face while leaving the rest in shadow. Next, look up chiaroscuro to see how this dramatic light-and-dark effect works.
