Nicolas Lagneau (fl c. 1600–50) 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 from 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 their emphasis on facial expressions, wrinkles, and deformities, Lagneau's portraits reveal the influence of Rembrandt's early… Read more...