1525
ink
paper
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
Horatius Cocles Leaping into the River Tiber is a 1525 ink by Albrecht Altdorfer, a Renaissance work, held at National Gallery of Art.
This engraving shows a man in armor mid-leap into a river, holding a shield over his head. Behind him, two other armored figures raise swords, their faces blurred. The water is rough, and the shore is dotted with small tents and a crowd of tiny, scattered people. The artist used sharp lines and heavy shading to show the urgency of the moment. The man’s armor looks detailed, but his face is smooth and almost childlike. Try looking up engraving to see how artists like this one carved images into metal.
Albrecht Altdorfer (c. 1480 – 12 February 1538) was a German painter, engraver and architect of the Renaissance working in Regensburg. Along with Lucas Cranach the Elder and Wolf Huber he is regarded to be the main…
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