Abel Francois Poisson, Marquis de Marigny

About this work

This is a black-and-white portrait of a man in fancy clothes. He’s wearing a powdered wig, a decorated coat with stars, and a fur-lined cape. One hand rests on a curved staff, and the other holds a piece of paper. Behind him, a dog sits on a draped surface, and a curtain frames the scene. The name at the bottom reads *Abel Francois Poisson, Marquis de Marigny*, but the focus here is on the detail work—every fold in the fabric and curl in the wig is sharp. This isn’t painted; it’s an *engraving*, where the artist carved lines into metal to create the image. Next, check out how *engraving* works to see how artists like Wille made these precise prints.