Portrait of a bearded man, half-length, wearing a slashed doublet

With his piercing gaze and fashionable attire, this unidentified gentleman must have been among the most dashing members of the French court. The artist meticulously recorded his ruffed collar, elaborately tied doublet, and handsome mustache with strokes of red and black chalk, blending the two colors to achieve brown tones and create an astonishingly lifelike presence. Artists began making bust length portraits like this at the French court in the late 1500s. Such drawings, made as independent works of art, were particularly prized among the nobility, who appreciated their exquisite execution and the accuracy with which they presented a sitter's likeness.