Elderly Man Reading a Book

Nicolas Lagneau was a French draftsman noted for his portrait drawings. He was especially interested in grotesque physiognomies, which he drew in meticulous detail either from models or his imagination. His drawings are usually executed in black and red chalk, sometimes with the addition of blue or yellow gouache. In their heightened realism, and emphasis on facial expressions, wrinkles, and deformities, Lagneau's portraits reveal the influence of Rembrandt's early works.

Paris