Ornament with Mask, Eagle between Satyrs Below
1549
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1549
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Ornament with Mask, Eagle between Satyrs Below is a 1549 ink by Heinrich Aldegrever, a northern_renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This image shows a strange, detailed engraving. In the center is a big, serious face with a beard, wearing a crown-like hat. Above it, two small urns sit on a shelf, and below, two satyrs—half-man, half-goat—stand with their arms raised, holding up a wavy, cloudy background. The whole scene is packed with swirls, leaves, and sharp lines that fill every empty space. The artist used a technique called cross-hatching to create shadows and texture. Tiny crisscrossed lines build up dark areas, making the face and figures pop out. Want to see how this works? Try looking up cross-hatching.
