Head of a Young Man

Sir Anthony van Dyck

National Gallery of Art

Shown from the chest up with his body and head facing us, a pale-skinned young man cuts his light-brown eyes sharply to our right in this vertical portrait painting. His slightly wild, copper-brown hair puffs around his ears and tendrils curl on his forehead. His cheeks are flushed vivid pink. His full, pink lips are closed, and he has a cleft in his rounded chin. Some darker strokes around his mouth could be a goatee. He is lit from our right, and light shines brightly on a sliver of white at the neckline of his coffee bean-brown, high-necked garment. His clothing and hair blend into the dark brown background. Brushstrokes are visible throughout, especially in the man’s face and hair. Some areas of the canvas appear thinly painted or abraded; this is especially noticeable in a lighter area at the bottom left corner.