Portret van een onbekende man

About this artwork

staalgravure, ets en roulette

Art Historical Context

**Portret van een onende man (Portrait of an Unknown Man Created by Dutch engraver Edouard Ta (1834–1892), this intimate steel engraving measures a compact 157 mm high by 120 mm wide, inviting close contemplation. Dating to the 19th, it exemplifies the era fascination with portraiture, even an anonymous figure could embody quiet dignity and personal mystery. Taurel, active in a time of expanding print culture, crafted this work amid Europe's Romantic and early Realist movements, when detailed reproductions democratized art for books, albums, and collectors. The medium—steel engraving combi...

About the Artist

Edouard Taurel · 1824–1892

Charles Edouard Taurel (1824–1892) was a Dutch engraver and illustrator whose career exemplified the continued vitality of steel engraving and etching in the Netherlands during the nineteenth century. Working primarily in Amsterdam, Taurel specialized in portrait engravings of Dutch historical figures and topographical views of Amsterdam and its surroundings. His work served both commemorative fun...