Brustbild eines Mannes mit Mütze und langem Haar im Dreiviertelprofil nach links c. 1683

Johann Melchior Roos made this portrait drawing of a man around the turn of the 18th century, using red chalk on paper. The medium of red chalk lends itself to Roos’s delicate, detailed style, with soft, granular qualities, ideal for capturing the subtleties of light and shadow. Roos carefully renders the man’s features, from the folds of his hat to the curves of his face and flowing hair, using hatching techniques to build up depth and volume. Chalk is a relatively direct medium; each mark is immediate and visible, preserving the artist’s gestures. Drawings like this one would have served varied purposes, from preparatory studies for larger paintings, to independent works of art. Either way, the drawing's intimacy and immediacy allows us a glimpse into the artist’s working process, and into the world of artistic production in the 1700s. Appreciating drawings like this on its own terms, not just as a step towards a more finished work, helps us to move beyond traditional hierarchies of art and craft.