Portret van een verschrikte man 1847

This drawing, titled "Portret van een verschrikte man" (Portrait of a Terrified Man), is a study of human emotion by Belgian artist Henricus Franciscus Wiertz. Created in 1847, the artwork depicts a close-up of a man's face, his expression contorted in fear. The dramatic use of light and shadow accentuates the man's wide, startled eyes, open mouth, and furrowed brow. This powerful portrayal of human vulnerability highlights Wiertz's interest in depicting the raw and often unsettling aspects of the human experience. The artist’s signature and the word “Schrik” (fear) below the portrait further emphasize the work’s subject matter.