Portrait of a Man

Portrait of a Man by Anonymous, French, 16th century

Medium

Black and red chalk, heightened with white

Dimensions

11 1/4 x 8 11/16 in. (28.5 x 22 cm)

Classification

Drawings

Department

Drawings and Prints

Museum

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY

Credit

Gift of Mrs. William M. Haupt, from the collection of Mrs. James B. Haggin, 1965

Accession Number

65.251.5

Tags

MenPortraits

Art Historical Context

This delicate *Portrait of a Man*, anonymously by a French artist in 1594, captures the introspective gaze of its subject in a remarkably intimate scale—measuring just 11¼ x 8⅝ inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Department of Drawings and Prints, work exemplifies the refined portraiture of late 16th-century France, a period bridging the Renaissance and early Baroque, amid the cultural shifts following the Wars of Religion. Executed in black and red chalk heightened with white on paper, the drawing showcases masterful techniques of the era. The artist deftly employed chiaroscuro—...

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