Head of a man with a beard (ca. 1755–93, Met-Objekt 1285)
Original title: Head of a man with a beard
kurzbeschreibung
Louis Marin Bonnet made this crayon-manner engraving in red ink between 1755 and 1793. It shows the profile of a bearded man with curly hair, based on a design by Peter Paul Rubens.
Description
A man's head in profile, tilted slightly to the left, with his gaze following the same direction. The lines appear throughout in a red hue, dense and varied in stroke, which emphasizes the structure of the beard and the folds of the hair. The background remains plain and without detail. At the lower left one reads the name 'Rubens', at the lower right 'Donat'.
Context
The French engraver Louis Marin Bonnet was known for his work in the crayon manner, a technique that imitates chalk drawings. This print goes back to a drawing by Peter Paul Rubens, suggesting the reproduction of an older masterpiece. An exact date is lacking, but its creation falls in the second half of the 18th century. The inscription 'Donat' might point to a previous owner or collector of the original drawing.
Impact
The red ink and dense hatching give the image a warm, sketch-like quality that recalls a chalk drawing. The reduced rendering draws the eye to the facial features and the texture of the beard, lending the portrait an intimate, almost personal note.
Technique
This crayon-manner engraving mimics the appearance of chalk or pastel with fine patterns of dots and lines. It was printed with red ink on paper, and the sheet has been trimmed to 15.3 × 11.3 cm.
AI-generated description text
Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)