Untitled (Head Of A Man In Turban)
Original title: Untitled (Head Of A Man In Turban)
kurzbeschreibung
François Gonord made this portrait between the mid-18th and early 19th century; it shows the head of a man turned to the left in profile. He wears a feather-trimmed turban and a full beard. The print is a crayon manner engraving in brown ink.
Description
A man appears in profile facing left, his head covered by a turban adorned with feathers. The long, thick beard and moustache, together with the curly, wavy hair, define the image. Traces of the feather are clearly visible, while the background stays subdued and draws the eye to the face and headwear. Brown tones dominate the drawing, which reveals detailed line work. At lower left is the inscription 'Bruecher del.', at lower right 'Gomart fec.'
Context
The Frenchman François Gonord worked as a copper engraver and became known for portraits and illustrations. Crayon manner, also called crayon engraving, emerged in the 18th century to imitate drawings in red chalk or chalk. The inscriptions suggest that the model came from an artist named Bruecher and that Gonord carried out the engraving. The sheet belongs to an era when orientalizing motifs were widespread in European art.
Impact
The dense line work and brown ink give the sheet a warm, calm mood. The striking beard and decorated turban lend the portrait a dignified and exotic air. Because only the profile is shown and the background remains plain, attention goes directly to the facial features and the headwear.
Technique
As a crayon manner engraving, the print uses fine dot and line patterns to imitate the effect of a chalk drawing. It was printed in brown ink on paper; the sheet measures 38.2 × 26.6 cm. This process allowed textures and shading to be reproduced precisely.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)