Orlando and the Thieves

Francesco Allegrini

1647

ink

From the collection of National Gallery of Art

Baroque Baroque Allegory

About this work

This sketch shows a chaotic scene with people tangled in vines. On the left, two figures kneel in heavy robes, their hands bound or holding something. To the right, a group of people struggle against leafy branches that wrap around them like ropes. One person stands alone in the middle, looking small and lost. The artist used quick, sketchy lines to show movement and struggle. The ink looks almost like a hurried note—some parts are dark and thick, while others fade into the paper. Next, look up cross-hatching to see how artists build shadows with lines.